France carries out first 'ceramic sternum' transplant

French doctors have successfully carried out the world's first transplant of a ceramic sternum, the product's makers said on Tuesday.

The operation was carried out on March 19 at the University Hospital Centre in Limoges, central France, on a woman in her fifties who had been diagnosed with cancer, I.CERAM said.

"At the three-month point, the operation is a success," the nine-year-old company, which specialises in orthopaedic implants, said.

"The patient has received a new, healthy sternum and her respiratory capacity is improving."

The ceramic breastplate is aimed at improving biocompatibility—reducing infection and rejection by the immune system—compared with titanium and cement alternatives.