Spring Cranioplasty: Incorporation Into Practice.

Objective: The aim of this paper is to discuss ways to incorporate spring-assisted cranioplasty into the surgical armamentarium for craniosynostosis.

Background: Spring-assisted cranioplasty after cranial suturectomy for craniosynostosis was popularized in the literature by Dr Lauritzen in 2008 after reporting the results of the first 100 cases. Since that time, more craniofacial surgeons and neurological surgeons have incorporated this surgical technique for treatment of patients presenting with craniosynostosis. This paper will discuss how the team at Nationwide Children's Hospital has incorporated spring-assisted cranioplasty into the care of patients presenting with sagittal synostosis.

Methods: In this article, the authors review our previous protocol for the treatment of children with sagittal synostosis prior to the introduction of spring cranioplasty. The authors then describe the impetus for incorporating spring-assisted cranioplasty for sagittal synostosis into our practice, and barriers we encountered during this implementation. The authors then discuss their current, comprehensive protocol for treating children with sagittal craniosynostosis. Finally, the authors review the expected and unexpected advantages that our craniofacial program has experienced as they implemented spring-assisted cranioplasty.

Conclusion: Incorporation of spring-assisted cranioplasty for sagittal synostosis offers an additional minimally invasive technique, which presents great advantages for many families, and is rewarding for both craniofacial and neurological surgeons.