Oh, the Confusion of Sternal Precautions

With about 7,095,000 cardiovascular surgeries performed in 2006 and the role physical therapists have after cardiac surgery, the topic of sternal precautions is relevant.

If one does searching, third party payers have sternal precautions and heart centers have sternal precautions.  Where do they come from?

There have been discussions on listserves questioning sternal precautions.

Where is the evidence?  Should there be sternal precautions or not?  What does available evidence suggest?  How strong is that evidence?

For those of you wondering the same, if you are planning on attending the American Physical Therapy Association Combined Section Meeting, a session is devoted to this topic.

Join Lawerence Cahalin, PT, Tanya Kinney LaPier, PT and Donald Shaw, PT on February 18 from 2:30 - 4:30 pm to learn more.

photo by Frank Peters via Flickr

~Selena