Hönig J F
Craniofacial and Plastic Surgery Department, Medical School and University Hospital, Goettingen, Germany.
J Craniofac Surg. 1996 Mar;7(2):168-9. doi: 10.1097/00001665-199603000-00021.
A new method for internal fixation of the temporalis muscle in craniofacial surgery has been developed using the V-tunnel drill system, which eliminates the necessity for pins and screws to resuspend the detached temporalis muscle. This system consists of a conventional drill and a specially designed V-tunnel guide. The guide is used to drill multiple series of double-stitching holes, which connect to form a V-shaped tunnel in the external table. The PDS suture is pulled through the V-tunnel, thereby securely anchoring the temporalis muscle to the bone by consecutive stitches. The sutures can be easily positioned after drilling the tunnel and stitched through the V without endangering the cerebrum. This versatile V-tunnel drill procedure is very easy and simple and has many foreseeable applications.