title: Piezoelectric bone surgery: a revolutionary technique for minimally invasive surgery in cranial base and spinal surgery? Technical note.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Piezoelectric surgery represents an innovative, ultrasonic surgery technique for performing a safe and effective osteotomy or osteoplasty that contrasts with the traditional hard and soft tissue management methods with rotating instruments.
  
  
  METHODS
  Because of its physical and mechanical properties, the definitive clinical advantage of piezoelectric bone surgery with regard to precision cutting lies in the sparing of vital neurovascular bundles or general soft tissue and better visualization of the surgical field, thus suggesting its great safety. Piezoelectric bone surgery has been previously described only in oral and maxillofacial operative procedures in adults.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five children between the age of 6 and 84 months were operated on for craniosynostosis, tethered cord, and an extraconal intraorbital tumor. The usefulness of piezoelectric bone surgery during neurosurgical procedures is presented for these cases. This technique is especially recommended when there are anatomic difficulties because of poor intraoperative visibility or the presence of delicate anatomic structures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present preliminary report (comprising illustrative case reports) demonstrates and introduces for the first time the utility of piezoelectric bone surgery in cranial base and spinal surgery in children. Until now, there has been no documented neurosurgical experience of this technique even in adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, Medical School and University Hospital, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernhard J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Schaller
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gruber
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Merten
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kruschat
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schliephake
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buchfelder
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Ludwig
mesh_terms: D003398:Craniosynostoses / Q000601:surgery; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000601:surgery; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D019291:Skull Base / Q000601:surgery*; D013131:Spine / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome