Medically known as pectus excavatum, "sunken chest" is the most common congenital chest deformity (a deformity of the cartilage that connects the ribs to the breastbone) affecting about one in 800 children born in the United States each year and is three times more common in boys than girls.

A groundbreaking has recently been launched by researchers at UCSF Children's Hospital in San Francisco in order to test a procedure using magnets to correct this condition.

...a magnet attached to the child's breastbone is coupled with a second one outside the chest that creates a steady, controlled, outward pull on the internal magnet to reshape the bone, cartilage and chest wall.

The procedure marks one of the first times magnets have been embedded inside the body to treat a health condition.

The new technique is called "Magnetic Mini-Mover Procedure" or 3MP which uses a device that includes two parts: a titanium-encased magnet about the size of a quarter that is surgically attached to the child's breastbone and a second magnet embedded in a lightweight plastic brace that the child wears under clothing.

Once proven successful, 3MP will become a revolutionary treatment for pectus excavatum.

Read the full report.

Find out more about pectus excavatum and Magnetic Mini-Mover Procedure. Interested patients may call the UCSF Division of Pediatric Surgery at 415/476-2538.