title: [The osteomyoplastic flap, a contribution to neurosurgery].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  the cosmetic deformities that appear after a pterional craniotomy are usually the result of atrophy of the temporal muscle, lesion of the frontotemporal branch of the facial nerve or occur as a consequence of the way the craniotomy was done.The objective was to compare the functional and aesthetic complications from both the classic pterional approach and the osteomyoplastic flap type approach in patients with supratentorial surgical pathology either vascular or tumoral.
  
  
  METHODS
  a retrospective observational comparative survey was done. All the patients operated on who required a pterional approach for a supratentorial pathology and were given either a classic pterional approach or an osteomyoplastic pterional flap were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  the variables: surgical time and hollowing had significant differences; the pterional approach with less operative time (p < 0.001) and the osteomyoplastic approach with less hollowing perceived by the patients (p = 0.013).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the osteomyoplastic flap showed a less severe hollowing in the temple although it demands more time in order to perform it. The frequency of complications seems to be the same.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurocirugía, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México. francisco_graj@yahoo.com.mx
authors.forename: Francisco Manuel
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Grajeda-García
authors.forename: Fanny
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mercado-Caloca
mesh_terms: D003399:Craniotomy; D006801:Humans; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015173:Supratentorial Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000009:adverse effects; D013703:Temporal Muscle