Innovation to Pediatric Cranioplasty

Pediatric cranioplasty poses a reconstructive challenge because of children's developing anatomy and dynamic growth. Although several studies have advocated the use of autologous bone over synthetic material in pediatric population, the full coverage of the cranioplasty defect can be not fulfilled in the majority of the cases due to the size of the defect and the limited bone stock. There is an ongoing research for the development of alloplastic bone substitutes that avoid rigid fixation and promote graft transformation into viable tissue to improve outcomes in alloplastic pediatric cranioplasty. The aim of this study is to offer a detailed review on evolution, evaluation, planning, materials, and outcomes of cranioplasty in pediatric patients. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Robert D. Wallace, MD, 1068 Cresthaven Road, Suite 500, Memphis, TN 38119; E-mail: rwallace@uthsc.edu Received 8 July, 2018 Accepted 11 August, 2018 The authors report no conflicts of interest. © 2018 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.

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