Injectable Cranioplasty

Q: Dr. Eppley, I was interested to read your comments regarding augmenting the skull area: ‘Kryptonite Bone Cement, can be injected through a very small incision (10mms) and shaped until set from the outside. ‘m (injectable cranioplasty) Would this procedure be suitable for expanding the cranium, beginning from above the forehead, top of the cranium ending at the back of the top of the head, as this is where I would require augmentation, the highest area to be approx 3cm in height? Also, what would be the cost? I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

A: In answer to your question, both Kryptonite bone cement material and the concept of an injectable cranioplasty using it have been abandoned. While there may one a role for injectable cranioplasty for very small cranial defects, it is a technique that will not work for larger skull augmentations due to irregularities and lack of contour control. 

While I commonly do large skull augmentations, this is done today using custom designed skull implants from the patient’s 3D CT scan. This ensures control of the surface area coverage and shape of the skull augmentation in a precise manner. In larger skull augmentation, like the 3cm thickness to which you refer, this would require a first stage scalp expander to generate the soft tissue coverage required of such a large skull augmentation.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana