Mission Magazine - Titanium Rib Update

Titanium Rib Update

May 2006

The Vertical Expandable Prosthetic Titanium Rib (VEPTR), featured in the November/December 2004 issue of The Mission magazine, continues to save the lives of children born with thoracic insufficiency syndrome, a disease that threatens normal lung capacity and growth.

Robert M. Campbell Jr., M.D., professor of pediatric orthopaedic surgery at the Health Science Center and director of the Thoracic Institute at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital, and his chief collaborator Melvin Smith, M.D., professor of orthopaedics, coined the term thoracic insufficiency syndrome. Dr. Campbell invented the Titanium Rib in 1987.

Thanks in part to Dr. Campbell, there is now pending Senate legislation to enhance pediatric device development for the U.S. "This covers not only orthopaedics, but all devices that might be used to help children," he said.

Dr. Campbell recently received the Arthur H. Huene Award from the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America. The $25,000 award will be used to advance the Titanium Rib. The award recognizes excellence and future promise in the specialty of pediatric orthopaedics.

To read more about the work
Drs. Campbell and Smith are doing
with the Titanium Rib, visit www.uthscsa.edu/mission/index.asp?Issue=2004-11.