Interest of a 3D custom-made implant in the reconstruction of bone defects of the cranial vault

Abstract

The authors report a case of a patient managed for severe cranial vault depression following combined neurosurgery and radiotherapy. This situation caused major aesthetic discomfort and was potentially dangerous due to the mechanical weakness of the bone flap. The authors had a CAD (computer aided design) silicone elastomer custom-made implant made to fill perfectly the depression. Beforehand, an expansion was performed to cover the implant after removal of the radiated skin. The surgery and post-operative course raised no concerns. After one year of follow-up, the result is very good and the patient very satisfied, proving that this technique certainly has its place in the therapeutic arsenal when faced with a tissue defect of the cranial vault.

Keywords: Craniofacial implant design; Défaut voute crânienne; Implant sur mesure; Reconstruction crane; Skull defect; Skull reconstruction.