Pediatric cranial defect surface analysis for craniosynostosis postoperation CT images

Craniosynostosis is a congenital disease which consists of premature fusion of one or more cranial sutures, resulting in an abnormal head shape. Patients are usually treated by cranial vault expansion surgery to minimize the potential for brain damage. Full thickness cranial defects result from the expansion surgery, with the size directly proportional to the degree of expansion. The growing cranial skeleton has a unique regenerative capacity to heal small defects; however, when this regenerative capacity is exceeded, the defect is classed as one of critical size and requires surgical treatment to restore protection to the underlying brain. Although what constitutes a critical cranial defect is well known in animal models, it is not as clear for pediatric human skulls. The purpose of this study is to investigate a method that can effectively quantify healing of the pediatric cranial defect surface after cranial vault expansion surgery for craniosynostosis.