) were included. The most common cause was traumatic brain injury (19 patients). Eighty-five percent had failed autologous cranioplasty, and 42% had prior infections. At last follow-up (mean = 6.5 years; range = 1.3-14.5 years), 25 patients had stable coverage and contour without complications. One patient required explantation because of iatrogenic causes. Growth analysis of 12 patients (mean follow-up = 9.3 years; range = 5.4-14.5 years) showed HC increased in all cases and remained within the same age-adjusted percentile range as pre-cranioplasty values. ICV increased or remained stable in 9 of 12 patients. In the remaining three patients, HC-ICV discrepancies resulted from inward calvarial thickening concurrent with intrinsic brain abnormalities.ConclusionsPPE cranioplasty appears to be safe for large cranial defects in select pediatric cases. Head circumference growth occurs over time and remains within normative ranges long term, whereas ICV changes do not always parallel HC. This growth pattern appears related to the extent of underlying brain injury rather than the reconstruction itself.
Camison et al. (Mon,) studied this question.