Bending the rib instead of fracturing it
Current waist-narrowing techniques rely on removing the rib or fracturing it in a controlled way. This work describes a third route: bending it, borrowing a concept from paediatric bone deformation. It was compared against RibXcar in 50 women, with 6-month follow-up and angular measurement by CT.
Where the idea comes from
Paediatric orthopaedics has long known that growing bone can be deformed progressively and controllably without breaking it. This work takes that concept — incurvation — and applies it to the floating ribs.
The stated aim is direct: to lower the risks associated with removing or fracturing bone.
How they were compared
Fifty women seeking waist reduction through remodeling of ribs 11 and 12, split into two groups:
| Group | Patients | Period |
|---|---|---|
| RibXcar (monocortical fracture) | 26 | January to July 2022 |
| IncurvationXribs (incurvation) | 24 | December 2022 to January 2023 |
Follow-up was 6 months. Costal angles were measured by computed tomography, and waist circumference at baseline and at 6 months. Postoperative pain was assessed on day 10 with a visual analogue scale.
The results
Both techniques achieved significant waist reduction at 6 months, with comparable effectiveness. The difference was not in the aesthetic outcome but in the route:
- IncurvationXribs: less postoperative pain and no complications.
- RibXcar: 2 complications — one chronic pain and one bicortical fracture.
The authors conclude that incurvation «may offer a favorable safety profile» for aesthetic waist contouring.
What makes this study unusual
It is the creator of RibXcar comparing his own technique against a newer alternative of his own, and publishing that the newer one came out better on safety. That is not the norm.
The limits should be stated all the same: 50 patients in total, 6-month follow-up, and the groups were operated in different periods rather than in parallel. This is an initial comparative study, not a randomised trial.