Case review: fronto-temporo-parietal cranioplasty fixed with eight screws

Extensive defect of the left cranial vault, in the fronto-temporo-parietal region. The aim: restore the contour of the skull and protect the brain with a Ti-6Al-4V titanium implant designed from the patient’s CT scan.

Cranial vaultLeft fronto-temporo-parietal cranioplastyLarge vault defect, peripheral fixation with 8 screws

Overall size

107 × 107 × 32 mm

Thickness

≈ 2.9 mm

Volume

28.3 cm³

Mass (Ti-6Al-4V)

≈ 125 g

Explore the case in 3D

The defect affects one side only: the healthy vault serves as the reference. Its curvature is mirrored across the midsagittal plane, then blended into the edges on the affected side. The implant rests on the bone edge all the way round.

Eight peripheral tabs each take an osteosynthesis screw 1.5 mm in diameter and 15 mm long. All sit on healthy bone, outside the defect, spread around it. The total bony support reaches about 470 mm².

The implant has 52 perforations about 3.6 mm in diameter. They lighten the part, let fluid drain and help the covering tissue adhere. Their number and layout are set at the design stage.

• Coronal or axial plane through a tab: path of the screw through the tab, then into the bone.
• Transparent bone: layout of the eight screws around the defect.
• Implant moved aside: shape and limits of the bone defect.
• Measurement: diameter of a perforation, distance between two screws.