Sternal clefts are rare congenital malformations that result from defective embryologic fusion of paired mesodermal bands in the ventral midline.[2] They may be associated with other midline defects (as in pentalogy of Cantrell). It may also occur in isolation.[3] Sternal cleft is treated by surgery in early life to avoid fixation leading to immobility.
^Rapini, Ronald P.; Bolognia, Jean L.; Jorizzo, Joseph L. (2007). Dermatology: 2-Volume Set. St. Louis: Mosby. ISBN978-1-4160-2999-1.
^Zamfir, Corina (2014). "Sternal cleft – A rare congenital malformation". Journal of Pediatric Surgery Case Reports. 2 (3): 97–100. doi:10.1016/j.epsc.2014.01.012.