title: Bone autografting of the calvaria and craniofacial skeleton: historical background, surgical results in a series of 15 patients, and review of the literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although the use of autologous bone for reconstruction of the cranial and facial skeleton underwent a partial reappraisal following the introduction of a vast range of alloplastic materials for this purpose, it has demonstrated definite advantages over the last century and, particularly, during the last decade.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen patients underwent cranial and/or cranio-facial reconstruction using autologous bone grafting in the Department of Neurologic Sciences-Neurosurgery and the Division of Maxillo-Facial Surgery of the Rome "La Sapienza" University between 1987 and 1995. This group of patients consisted of 8 females and 7 males whose average age was 29.5 years (range 7.5 to 59 years, mean age 30). In all these patients cranioplasty and/or cranio-facial reconstruction had been performed to repair bone defects secondary to benign tumors or tumor-like lesions (12 cases), trauma (2 cases), or, in the remaining case, to wound infection after craniotomy for a neurosurgical operation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results obtained in a series of 15 patients treated using this method are described with reference to the abundant data published on this topic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mechanical, immunologic, and technical-grafting properties of autologous bone, together with its superior esthetic and psychological effects, probably make it the best material for cranioplasty.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology of Natural Molecules and General Anatomy, University of Rome La Sapienza, Piazza le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Artico
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferrante
authors.forename: Francesco Saverio
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Pastore
authors.forename: Epimenio Orlando
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Ramundo
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cantarelli
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scopelliti
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Iannetti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D019465:Craniofacial Abnormalities / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012886:Skull / Q000637:transplantation*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous / Q000379:methods*