Thoracic insufficiency syndrome is the inability of the

thorax The thorax or chest is a part of the anatomy of humans, mammals, and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main divisions of the cre ...

to support normal

respiration Respiration may refer to: Biology * Cellular respiration, the process in which nutrients are converted into useful energy in a cell ** Anaerobic respiration, cellular respiration without oxygen ** Maintenance respiration, the amount of cellul ...

. It is frequently associated with

chest The thorax or chest is a part of the anatomy of humans, mammals, and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main divisions of the crea ...

and/or spinal abnormalities. Treatment options are limited, but include supportive

pulmonary The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of ...

care and surgical options ( thoracoplasty and/or implantation of

vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib Vertical Expandable Prosthetic Titanium Ribs (VEPTR) is a product of Synthes for the treatment of childhood deformities of the thorax. It is a special form of a lengthenable rod ("Growing Rod"). An alternative system is the ''USS pediatric'' for ...

(VEPTR) devices).

References

Respiratory diseases Syndromes {{respiratory-disease-stub