Progressive Osseous Remodeling Following Reconstruction of a Pediatric Frontal Bone Defect Using a Polycaprolactone Mesh: A Case Report

Porous polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds are used in reconstructive applications because they can provide prolonged structural support while permitting tissue infiltration, yet their contribution to bone regeneration remains context-dependent. We report a 10-year-old boy with a congenital dermoid cyst of the forehead that was firmly adherent to the frontal bone and associated with focal outer-table erosion. After complete excision, a biodegradable PCL mesh was placed over the residual partial-thickness osseous defect to support the frontal contour. Serial computed tomography demonstrated progressive restoration of osseous continuity and thickness during follow-up, without implant-related complications. Prior experimental and clinical studies indicate that bone formation around PCL-based scaffolds varies with scaffold design, defect characteristics, and the local biological environment. In this biologically favorable pediatric partial-thickness defect, the porous PCL mesh may have functioned primarily as a space-maintaining structural scaffold that permitted progressive osseous remodeling from adjacent tissues. This case suggests that PCL mesh may provide a useful structural scaffold in selected pediatric cranial defects with preserved surrounding osteogenic potential.