CHICKEN CHEST
HARMLESS, BUT A NUISANCE
A crow’s chest is a type of chest deformity involving excessive forward protrusion of the sternum and adjacent parts of the ribs. Such a defect can be developmental or acquired.
Delicate protuberances are sometimes visible just after birth, but it is not until puberty that they increase. The incidence of the condition is approx. 1-3 per 1,000 births. It affects boys much more often than girls and usually develops after the age of eleven. In ca. 30% of cases are observed to have this defect among people who are related to each other, which suggests a genetic background to the condition. This defect is most often noticed by parents who become concerned about the formation of the child’s chest.
In general, however, the causes of chicken chest are so varied that it is impossible to point to a specific reason for its occurrence with certainty.
Although it would seem to be only a cosmetic deformity that causes a lot of complexes in young people, a chicken chest also results in weakened respiratory muscles, weakened back muscles, reduced mobility of the chest, shoulders and spine, and circulatory disorders. By weakening and limiting the mobility of the respiratory and back muscles and reducing the vital capacity of the lungs, the patient finds it difficult to breathe properly, resulting in reduced endurance and overall weakness.
CHANCES OF RECOVERY
Generally, the condition is not treated. Large defects are subjected to surgery. The surgical procedure involves removing fragments of deformed cartilage and repositioning the sternum in its proper position. Usually such a procedure is carried out on smaller children, i.e. Between the ages of 6 and 8.
Children and adolescents with an existing deformity should be provided with external bracing that exerts pressure on the protruding chest surface.
The most effective way to treat a chicken chest is to combine rehabilitation with the use of an appropriate thoracic orthosis.
The frame of the CARINATUM orthosis is made of high-quality, ultra-light 6061 T6 aluminum used in aviation, which guarantees the best stabilization among orthoses available on the market. It has been padded with pressure-relieving medical foam to protect against pressure on bony prominences, which guarantees the young patient full comfort.
Thanks to its design, the orthosis can be used 24/7 during treatment, which brings better results from the device.
CARINATUM is designed to discreetly ‘hide’ under the patient’s clothing. As a result, the patient is not exposed to the derision of his peers and feels comfortable in the course of treatment.
Chicken chest orthosis CARINATUM has been equipped with an innovative CALIPER BUCKLE tensioning system.
CALIPER BUCKLE is a high performance slat tensioner system designed by our engineers. The system consists of a flexible timing belt and a metal tensioning buckle, equipped with a pinion mechanism. The tensioning system works smoothly and is accomplished by successive manual lifting of the buckle. The Caliper Buckle system has a safety lever, allowing with one movement, the compression of the orthosis to be completely removed in an instant. This is done by unbuckling the system, and this function works well, for example, in situations where the patient falls asleep due to the orthosis pressing too much on his body or when he has associated breathing difficulties.
The product is available in our online store: https://akson.pl/product/orteza-tulowia-na-kurza-klatke-piersiowa-carinatum-am-tx-04/
Another, helpful especially in conservative treatment, is massage, which aims to increase lung capacity, increase mobility of the shoulders, spine and chest, and strengthen chest muscles.
When it comes to rehabilitation, it is worth noting that exercises performed in water, that is, all kinds of corrective exercises in the pool, will be ideal. The aquatic environment, which by its nature causes an increased load on the respiratory system, provides an opportunity to influence – with the help of respiratory muscles – the parameters of the chest. The appropriate position of the upper extremities ( e.g., extending the arms along the long axis of the body or their visitation to the side ) affects – by distancing the attachments of certain muscles ( e.g., pectoral and widest back muscles, etc. ) – the alignment of the chest – the inspiratory position – increasing its cross-sectional area.
CARINATUM ORTHOSIS has been powder coated and all its components are galvanized, making it waterproof and suitable for use in the pool or shower!
Examples of swimming corrective exercises in thoracic deformities:
1) On the back, arms extended above the head ( straightened at the elbow joints), hands joined, legs make a swinging motion
2) On the chest, arms outstretched along the long axis of the body ( straightened at the elbow joints ), hands hold a swimming board by the farther edge of the board with a grip ( two boards stacked on top of each other ) so that the forearms rest on the board, legs swinging – exhale into the water with maximum immersion of the head under the water surface.
3) On the back, arms extended along the long axis of the body, hands hold the bar at shoulder width, legs swinging – maximum flexion of the arms at the shoulder joints ( with the arms straight at the elbow joints ).
4) As in Exercise 3, but arms visited about 135 degrees.
5) On the back, arms visited to a right angle, on the grip wrap the bar based on the neck and shoulder joints, legs swinging.
6) On the back, arms adducted to the torso, maximally bent at the elbow joints, hold the bar placed under the back and the back of the arms, below the shoulder joints, legs swinging.
7) As in exercise 6 , but the arms hold a board (one or two) placed under the back (it is advisable to visit the arms to the side, with simultaneous immersion of the elbow joints under the water surface).
