Abstract
Background
Cranioplasty aims to reconstruct skull defects from fractures, decompressive craniectomies, tumors, and congenital anomalies in a cosmetically acceptable manner. We present a technique in methyl methacrylate cranioplasty that gives excellent cosmetic results by maintaining patient’s calvarial curvature.
Method
Cranioplasty material is placed into a plastic bag and packed inside the defect. Wire mesh cut larger than the defect is held in position to take the exact skull curvature. Once solid, the implant is fixed in position using titanium plates and mini-screws.
Conclusion
This is a simple, inexpensive method of achieving the most cosmetically desired cranioplasty results.
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Acknowledgments
We thank Kristin Kraus, MSc, and Ramin Eskandari, MD, for editorial assistance with this paper.
Conflicts of interest
None.
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Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Video that demonstrates the cranioplasty technique that yields superior cosmesis through maintenance of the patient’s calvarial curvature. 2 minutes, 50 seconds, 775 MB. (MPG 51614 kb)
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Sorour, M., Caton, W.L. & Couldwell, W.T. Technique for methyl methacrylate cranioplasty to optimize cosmetic outcome. Acta Neurochir 156, 207–209 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-013-1800-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-013-1800-3