At What Age Can An Injectable Kryptonite Cranioplasty Be Done For Plagiocephaly?

Q: Hi, I have a son that is 3 and a half years old. He has plagiocephaly, the back right side of his head is flatter than the left. From a birds eye view his head appears somewhat crooked. I have read about injectable Kryptonite and was wondering if my son would be a candidate for this. At what age would he be able to have this procedure? Thank you so much for your time!

A: Thank you for your inquiry. The use of an injectable cranioplasty technique using Kryptonite Bone Cement for improving the skull contours in children and adults with plagiocephaly is new and the first cases of it are just beginning to be done.  It is a very simple procedure that, just like an open cranioplasty, adds material on top of the deficient skull bone to build it out. Its advantage is not only its simplicity but that it avoids a long scalp scar and a more extensive operation. The age at which it can be done is really determined like any cosmetic procedure, when the patient (pr parent) feels that it is warranted and the effort is worth it. It really could be done any age as long as the child is healthy and the parents feels the problem is significant enough that it would be in the child’s long-term interest. Given its simplicity, there really is no significant recovery afterwards. The material within a day becomes just as hard as the surrounding skull bone and can not be displaced or deformed.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis Indiana