Cranioplasty using acrylic material: a new technical procedure

Abstract

Aim: Today, cranioplasty is performed using different procedures. Numerous materials may be used to reconstruct the cranial vault including autologous bone and different types of synthetic resins. When plastic materials are used, the main requirement for an effective cranioplasty is the preoperative shaping of the implant to fit the bony defect precisely. In this paper, experience with a new method for cranioplasty using an acrylic cranial implant is presented.

Material and methods: In this new technical procedure an acrylic implant, precisely shaped to the defect, is fabricated preoperatively using CT data. The study consists of 15 cases in whom cranioplasty was performed using this method. In all these, reconstruction was at least 3 months after the initial operation that lead to the cranial bony defect.

Results: No major complications occurred and the final functional and aesthetic results were good in all cases. The acrylic implant manufacture does not require the use of complex computer interface software or high-tech equipment, but involves simple, cheap, repeatable processes.