title: Acrylic cranioplasty using miniplate struts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cranioplasty using acrylic is a common procedure in patients with cranial defects secondary to trauma, infection, or tumor. The limitations of this technique include poor adherence of the acrylic to surrounding bone and difficulty in achieving a proper cosmetic contour in complicated cranial defects, especially those involving the orbital rim. The authors have been continually developing techniques of cranioplasty.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten consecutive cranioplasties were performed over the past 5 years using this new technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors describe a technique using miniplates as struts to which the acrylic is applied using a "reinforced concrete" principle.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All patients achieved excellent cosmetic results with no complications. This technique allows contour of the repair site while the acrylic is curing and provides a more resilient resulting prosthesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Replogle
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lanzino
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Francel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Henson
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Jane
mesh_terms: D001843:Bone Cements; D001860:Bone Plates; D003399:Craniotomy / Q000379:methods*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D020366:Methylmethacrylate; D008768:Methylmethacrylates; D014025:Titanium; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001843:Bone Cements; D008768:Methylmethacrylates; D020366:Methylmethacrylate; D014025:Titanium