Bone autografting of the calvaria and craniofacial skeleton: Historical background, surgical results in a series of 15 patients, and review of the literature

BACKGROUND Although the use of autologous bone for reconstruction of the cranial and facial skeleton underwent a partial reappraisal following the introduction of a vast range of alloplastic materials for this purpose, it has demonstrated definite advantages over the last century and, particularly, during the last decade. METHODS Fifteen patients underwent cranial and/or cranio-facial reconstruction using autologous bone grafting in the Department of Neurologic Sciences-Neurosurgery and the Division of Maxillo-Facial Surgery of the Rome "La Sapienza" University between 1987 and 1995. This group of patients consisted of 8 females and 7 males whose average age was 29.5 years (range 7.5 to 59 years, mean age 30). In all these patients cranioplasty and/or cranio-facial reconstruction had been performed to repair bone defects secondary to benign tumors or tumor-like lesions (12 cases), trauma (2 cases), or, in the remaining case, to wound infection after craniotomy for a neurosurgical operation. RESULTS The results obtained in a series of 15 patients treated using this method are described with reference to the abundant data published on this topic. CONCLUSION The mechanical, immunologic, and technical-grafting properties of autologous bone, together with its superior esthetic and psychological effects, probably make it the best material for cranioplasty

Reconstructive surgery for multiple renal arteries

Renal artery occlusions occur in patients with severe aortic atherosclerosis, panarteritis, as well as as a result of previous operations and are severe vascular pathology. It is very difficult to restore renal blood circulation in such patients, since this often affects the areas of bifurcation or trifurcation of the renal arteries. Cases of multiple renal arteries are especially difficult. It is known that surgical treatment for occlusions consists in creating bypass anastomoses, in particular the anastomosis of the superior mesenteric artery with the renal artery using the great saphenous vein [5]. However, the formation of this anastomosis is feasible only when treating a single renal artery, while its multiplicity is observed in 1538% of cases [13].</jats:p

Compression cranioplasty for surgical treatment of purulent wounds

The presence of powerful antibacterial agents and the positive outcomes of using a blind suture after surgical treatment of purulent wounds of the skull and brain gave us the basis in an experiment on 36 dogs to find out the possibility of primary closure of skull defects using the compression method of cranioplasty developed at the Department.</jats:p

Recognition by vertebral angiography of spinal cord vascular injuries during birth injuries of the spine

Kazan Medical. Zh., 1985, No. 1, p. 45.</jats:p