[Clinical and ossification outcome of custom-made hydroxyapatite prothese for large skull defect].
OBJECTIVE
Cranioplasty is an everyday concern in neurosurgery, especially in decompressive craniectomy cases. Our surgical team uses custom-made hydroxyapatite implants for large and/or complex defects.


METHODS
Eight patients had a custom-made prosthesis. Each of them has been reviewed by an independent observer. Each patient described his feeling of satisfaction, using a questionnaire, graduated from "A" (really satisfied) to "D" (unsatisfied). Each of them also underwent a CT-scan (helicoidal acquisition, 0.6mm thick for multiplanar reconstruction) to evaluate qualitatively the ossification graduated from "0" (no ossification) to "5" (continuous ossification). Maximal under-prosthetic bone thickness, intra-prosthetic calcic density were also reported.


RESULTS
Supervision delay was 43.7 months [6-99 months], average defect surface was 85.5 cm(2) [27.6-137.6 cm(2)], the craniectomy etiologies were intracranial hypertension (seven patients) and calvarial invasion (one patient). Implant tolerance was reparted in "A" score (50%) and "B" score (50%). Concerning ossification, six patients (75%) had a score of "2" or less and two patients had a score of "3" or "4".


CONCLUSIONS
Hydroxyapatite custom-made implants for cranioplasty appear to be ideal for good aesthetic and tolerance results, but their ossification is hardly analyzed due to the prosthesis density higher than the bone's density. This is why we recommend them for children and in cases of complex defects such as pterion location.
Service de chirurgie maxillo-faciale, CHRU de Rouen, 1, rue de Germont, 76031 Rouen cedex, France.
H
H
Hardy
E
E
Tollard
S
S
Derrey
P
P
Delcampe
J-M
JM
Péron
P
P
Fréger
F
F
Proust
D003399:Craniotomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D017886:Durapatite; D006801:Humans; D019586:Intracranial Hypertension / Q000601:surgery*; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures; D009999:Ossification, Heterotopic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D012886:Skull / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D017886:Durapatite