Table 1. Patient demographics, risk factors for sternal complications, and intraoperative variables.

Variable	Rigid plate fixation	Wire cerclage	P value
Demographics
Mean age (yrs)	65.3±13.0	65.7±11.4	0.78
Male	86 (74.1%)	91 (75.8%)	0.76
Height (cm)	172.2±9.8	172.7±9.9	0.65
Weight (kg)	85.6±17.6	88.2±16.5	0.23
BMI	28.8±4.7	29.4±4.6	0.28
Race (Caucasian)	103 (88.8%)	103 (85.8%)	0.48
Hypertension	86 (74.1%)	83 (69.2%)	0.40
Peripheral artery disease	12 (10.3%)	5 (4.2%)	0.07
Cerebrovascular disease	10 (8.6%)	7 (5.8%)	0.41
Risk factors for sternal complications
Diabetes	35 (30.2%)	44 (36.7%)	0.29
BMI ≥33	26 (22.4%)	29 (24.2%)	0.75
Chronic lung disease	22 (19.0%)	22 (18.3%)	0.58
Current tobacco use	14 (12.1%)	10 (8.3%)	0.34
Renal failure	0 (0%)	2 (1.7%)	0.16
BIMA	7 (6.0%)	4 (3.3%)	0.37
Previous sternotomy	8 (6.9%)	5 (4.2%)	0.36
Intraoperative variables
Isolated CABG	56 (48.3%)	57 (47.9%)	0.95
Isolated valve	33 (28.4%)	33 (27.7%)	0.90
CABG/valve	25 (21.6%)	28 (23.5%)	0.72
Mean bypass grafts (No.)	2.7±1.1	2.9±1.1	0.45
Operative time (hrs)	5.6±1.8	5.6±1.4	0.98
Sternal closure time (min)	18.9±9.0	16.3±9.3	0.03

BMI, body mass index; BIMA, bilateral internal mammary artery; CABG, coronary artery bypass graft.