title: Preservation of craniotomy bone flaps under the scalp.
abstract: Bone flaps are occasionally not replaced because of brain swelling or for other reasons. Various methods for preserving the free bone flaps have been described. Reimplantation of a free bone flap after a period of preservation outside the body, however, may be complicated by infection, and facilities for proper preservation under sterile conditions may not be available. We present a new technique for preserving the bone flap under the scalp until brain swelling has resolved. The bone flap is reimplanted 12-48 days later. No serious complications related to this technique have been encountered in the 37 patients in which it was used.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Uludag University School of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Korfali
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aksoy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003399:Craniotomy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012535:Scalp / Q000601:surgery; D013524:Surgical Flaps