Effects of the Nuss procedure on chest wall kinematics in adolescents with pectus excavatum

No data are available on the effects of the Nuss procedure on volumes of chest wall compartments (the upper rib cage, lower rib cage and abdomen) in adolescents with pectus excavatum. We used optoelectronic plethysmography to provide a quantitative description of chest wall kinematics before and 6 months after the Nuss procedure at rest and during maximal voluntary ventilation in 13 subjects with pectus excavatum. An average 11% increase in chest wall volume was accommodated within the upper rib cage (p = 0.0001) and to a lesser extent within the abdomen and lower rib cage. Tidal volumes did not significantly change during the study. The repair effect on chest wall kinematics did not correlate with the Haller index of deformity at baseline. Six months of the Nuss procedure do increase chest wall volume without affecting chest wall displacement and rib cage configuration.

► We study subjects with pectus excavatum before and 6 months after Nuss procedure.
► We propose using optoelectronic plethysmography to provide a description of chest wall kinematics.
► Six months after the Nuss procedure the volume of the upper rib cage increases.