Titanium Mesh and bone dust calvarial patch during cranioplasty

• Published in: The Cleft palate-craniofacial journal Vol. 34; no. 4; pp. 354 - 356
• Main Authors: O'BROIN, E. S, MORRIN, M, BREATHNACH, E, ALLCUTT, D, EARLEY, M. J
• Format: Conference Proceeding Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chapel, Hill, NC American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association 01-07-1997
• Subjects: Absorption; Acrocephalosyndactylia - surgery; Adolescent; Adult; Algorithms; Biological and medical sciences; Bone Transplantation - diagnostic imaging; Bone Transplantation - methods; Child; Craniofacial Dysostosis - surgery; Dentistry; Equipment Design; Frontal Bone - surgery; Humans; Hypertelorism - surgery; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Medical sciences; Neurosurgery; Orbit - surgery; Osteogenesis; Osteotomy - methods; Radiographic Image Enhancement; Skull - abnormalities; Skull - diagnostic imaging; Skull - surgery; Skull, brain, vascular surgery; Surface Properties; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgical Mesh; Titanium; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Human; Plain film; High resolution; Radiodiagnosis; Result; Plasty; Treatment; Surgery; Titanium; Medical imagery; Skull; Computerized axial tomography; Technique; Bibliographic review
• ISSN: 1055-6656; 1545-1569
• DOI: 10.1597/1545-1569(1997)034<0353:TMABDC>2.3.CO;2

A technique of filling calvarial defects using bone dust reinforced with titanium Micro Mesh (Leibinger) was investigated using plain x-ray films and computed tomography (CT) in seven consecutive patients (age range, 7-21 years). The aim of our study was to assess whether, in the presence of the titanium, bone dust harvested with a power burr promotes persistent ossification that is comparable with adjacent bone. The mesh was localized by standard skull plain x-ray films, and orthogonal CT scans were obtained at between 9 and 18 months post-operatively. An ultrahigh-resolution algorithm was used to detect neoossification on either side of the Micro Mesh (1-mm collimation, 330-mA and 120 KV(p) at the center of 400 HU, and window width of 2000 Hu). The mesh induced minimal streak artifact. Virtually no new bone formation was seen. It appears that bone dust was completely reabsorbed in this patient group even in the presence of semi-rigid fixation.