From gentle bracing to surgical repair, our specialists offer personalized options to correct pectus carinatum and help your child live and move comfortably.

If your child or teen’s breastbone sticks out, or protrudes, they may have a condition called pectus carinatum. Also known as “pigeon chest,” this chest wall disorder often shows up during the preteen or teen years. Getting expert care can help reduce the physical and emotional effects that your child may experience as a result of the condition.

At MU Health Care’s Children’s Hospital, your child can receive care from a team of specialists through our dedicated clinic for chest wall disorders. Our team is led by pediatric surgeons with extensive experience treating pectus carinatum and other chest wall conditions.

Signs and Symptoms of Pectus Carinatum

Your child may have pectus carinatum if they have a chest or breastbone (sternum) that sticks out more than usual. Additional symptoms include:

  • Chest pain during growth spurts
  • Shortness of breath during exercise
  • Dislocated collarbones after raising their arms 

Unlike pectus excavatum (also known as a “sunken chest”), pectus carinatum is less likely to cause restriction to the heart or lungs. 

When to Seek Care for Pectus Carinatum

If your child presents the symptoms listed above, reach out to your child’s primary care provider. Or you can contact our team directly. 

Who Gets Pectus Carinatum?

Pectus carinatum is more common in boys. About half of kids with the condition have a close relative with a chest wall disorder.

How We Diagnose Pectus Carinatum

When you come to our clinic, our team may diagnose pectus carinatum during your child’s exam. However, we may recommend other tests to understand the severity of their disorder or design a treatment plan, including:

  • Xenon magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): MU Health Care is one of the only health systems with xenon gas MRI capability. With this innovative technology, we can understand how the chest wall moves and potentially affects your child’s heart and lungs.
  • 3D structural camera: Using advanced cameras, we can create a 3D model of your child’s chest. This can help us develop personalized treatments, such as custom braces for your child.

How We Treat Pectus Carinatum

If your child has a chest wall disorder like pectus carinatum, they can see a team of specialists at Children’s Hospital. This team includes:

The two main treatment options for pectus carinatum are bracing and surgery.

Pectus Bracing

Also known as dynamic bracing, pectus bracing may be an option if your child has a symmetrical, or even, chest protrusion. Using our innovative 3D structural camera, we can build a custom-fitted, ultralight aluminum brace that fits your child’s specific measurements.

We use a specialized compressor system brace, which gradually reshapes the chest wall with minimal discomfort. When worn as directed, it can correct 90% of chest protrusions.

The brace works by applying pressure to correct the protrusion. We start with very low-pressure settings and gradually increase the pressure at your monthly follow-up visits. Once the pectus carinatum is corrected, we’ll slowly wean your child off the brace.

Physical Therapy

Our physical therapists offer chest-specific stretches and exercises to help improve your child’s posture.

Minimally Invasive Surgery

If bracing does not correct your child’s chest protrusion, they may need surgery. Your child may also benefit from surgery if they have an uneven protrusion or severe chest pain.

With minimally invasive repair of pectus carinatum (MIRPC), a pediatric surgeon can remodel your child’s chest wall. During MIRPC, we give your child general anesthesia and make two small incisions in your child’s chest wall. Then, we insert a titanium bar that pushes their sternum into place. Your child may be able to go home the day after surgery. 

In two to three years, we’ll remove the bar in a separate surgery.

Open Surgery

If your child needs traditional, open surgery, our pediatric surgeons will remove abnormal cartilage from the sternum through a larger incision. This is called a modified Ravitch procedure.

Follow-Up Care

Patients are followed up by our team every three months for custom adjustments to their brace, correction pressure measurements and schedule changes.

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