Cranioplasty of Computer-assisted design for Temporal Skull Defect

Objective To study the design,manufacturing and fixation of implants for cranioplasty in the patients with temporal cranial defects.Methods Ultrathin cranial CT scan was performed to simulate the shapes and contours of skull defects and their surrounding soft tissues in 32 patients with temporal skull defects.The templates of skull defect and their surrounding soft tissues were made under computer assistance.After patient's consent,the skull defect patches were manufactured with titanium-networks and were implanted by the operation.Results The patches matched skull defects in size and shape in all the patients.The average operation duration was 50 minutes.The headache which occurred in 2 patients after the operation disappeared respectively 1 week and 4 weeks after the operation.The shift of the implants and infection did not occur in all the patients during follow-up for 3 months.Conclusions The manufacture of the skull defect patches based on CT data of skull defect and its surrounding soft tissues and the fixation of the patches between skull and scalp with nails and lengthened screws can make operation easy and improve curative effect in the patients with temporal skull defect.