Oluseun Olufade, MD, is an Orthopedic Surgeon and Assistant Professor of Orthopedics at the Emory School of Medicine. The sternum protects your heart and lungs by acting as a shield in your chest.

Your sternum is located in the middle of your chest and is also known as the breastbone. It protects the organs of your torso from injury and serves as a connection point for other bones and muscles.

A broken sternum refers to a break in the breastbone — the long, flat bone that’s located in the center of the chest and connected to the ribs via cartilage. It forms the front of the rib cage, ...