Titanium miniplates or stainless steel wire for cranial fixation: a prospective randomized comparison.
OBJECTIVE
The authors designed a study to compare low-profile titanium miniplate fixation to that in which stainless steel wire is used.


METHODS
Before undergoing craniotomy, 40 patients gave informed consent and were randomized to receive either wire or miniplate fixation. After dural closure, bone flap fixation was timed. The bone flap was measured for inward or outward offset and mobility to manual pressure on its margin. Three months postoperatively the bone flap margins were graded for appearance or palpation of an offset and for the presence of burr hole depressions. Twenty-four patients were randomized to receive miniplate fixation and 16 to receive stainless steel wire fixation. The time required for wire fixation was approximately 40% longer than that for miniplates (11.8 +/- 5.1 minutes compared with 8.3 +/- 5 minutes, p = 0.02). The offset of bone flaps after wire fixation was significantly greater than that with miniplates (1.6 +/- 1 mm compared with 0.3 +/- 0.6 mm, p < 0.001), as was the mobility of the bone flap on digital pressure (1.2 +/- 0.9 mm compared with 0.2 +/- 0.5 mm, p < 0.001). At the 3-month follow-up review, two of 12 patients had suboptimal results after wire fixation, whereas none of 14 patients had suboptimal results after miniplate fixation. When dichotomized for excellent or less-than-excellent postoperative results, the data were significantly better for patients who underwent miniplate fixation (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Titanium miniplate cranial fixation provides more accurate and rigid reapproximation of the bone edges, with results that are significantly better on close inspection or palpation. The additional cost of miniplate fixation may thus be justified in many cases.
Broaddus
William C
WC
Harold F. Young Neurosurgical Center, Medical College of Virginia Hospitals, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298-0631, USA. wcbroadd@vcu.edu
Holloway
Kathryn L
KL
Winters
Charles J
CJ
Bullock
M Ross
MR
Graham
R Scott
RS
Mathern
Bruce E
BE
Ward
John D
JD
Young
Harold F
HF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001860:Bone Plates / Q000191:economics*; D001864:Bone Wires / Q000191:economics*; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000601:surgery*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003399:Craniotomy / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000191:economics*; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013193:Stainless Steel / Q000191:economics*; D013997:Time Factors; D014025:Titanium / Q000191:economics*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D013193:Stainless Steel; D014025:Titanium