title: Methyl methacrylate cranioplasty.
abstract: We conducted a prospective study in order to audit our experience of repairing cranial defects using Methyl methacrylate. This included a total of 49 patients undergoing cranioplasty using methyl methacrylate, of which 45 were males and 4 females. The age of patients at the time of surgery ranged from 16 to 40 years old, with an average of 24 years. Malays were the majority (67%), followed by Chinese (23%) and Indian (10%). Cranial defects were mainly caused by motor vehicle accident (94%), while gunshot wounds, industrial accidents and tumours, each contribute 2%. Bone flaps were commonly removed during previous surgery related to traumatic subdural haemorrhage (33%), contusion (21%) and intracerebral haemorrhage (14%). The size of cranial defects ranged from 28 cm2 to 440 cm2, with an average of 201 cm2. Most had right sided (55%) and lateral defects [temporoparietal (52%) followed by temporal (16%), frontal (16%), frontotemporal (14%) and occipital (2%)]. Duration of surgery ranged from 70 to 275 minutes, with an average of 135 minutes. Nine of 12 patients (75%) with neurological disability had some improvement while 85% of symptomatic patients had symptoms improvement after cranioplasty. The infection rate in this series was 4%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Pahang, Kuala Lumpur.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azmi
authors.forename: A Z
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Latiff
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Johari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001860:Bone Plates; D018786:Bone Substitutes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D012886:Skull / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018786:Bone Substitutes; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate