Cosmetic and Neuroprotective Placement of Custom-Made Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene Cranial Plate (SKULPIO) in Single-Step Surgery: Technical Note and Case Report.

BACKGROUND

Cranioplasty is a common procedure in neurosurgery. However, cosmetic and neuroprotective reconstructions are necessary after cranioplasty. Treatment of patients with a meningioma with bone infiltration requires removal of the tumor-infiltrated bone and subsequent cranioplasty. We report an efficient technique for cosmetic and neuroprotective reconstructions using a custom-made ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene cranial plate (SKULPIO, Kyocera Medical, Kyoto, Japan) in a single-step surgery involving tumor removal and skull reconstruction.

METHODS

We present 2 illustrative cases of a 49-year-old female with a right frontal convexity meningioma and 69-year-old male with a bilateral parasagittal atypical meningioma, both involving extensive skull invasion. We preoperatively planned craniotomy size to facilitate the removal of the tumor-infiltrated skull bone using the patients' 3-dimensional cranial models followed by the construction of a custom-made cranial plate. After tumor removal, we drilled out the outer table and the diploe of the cranial edge until the custom-made bone plate accurately fit the bone defect. Finally, the cranial plate was fixed using titanium plates and screws.

RESULTS

Postoperative magnetic resonance imaging for each case revealed total meningioma removal and an aesthetically reconstructed skull. Using this technique, precise adjustment of the cranial edge to the plate contributes to a gapless and aesthetic reconstruction. Furthermore, the intact inner table of the skull firmly supports the custom-made bone plate.

CONCLUSIONS

This technique involving the placement of a custom-made cranial plate during a single-step surgery was found to be efficient for cosmetic and neuroprotective reconstructions.