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Skull Base 1993; 3(4): 223-229
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1060587
Original Articles

© Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 381 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016

Role of Bone Graft in Reconstruction of Skull Base Defect: Is a Bone Graft Necessary

Yuhei Yamamoto, Hidehiko Minakawa, Tetsunori Yoshida, Hiroharu Igawa, Tsuneki Sugihara, Takehiko Ohura, Kunihiko Nohira
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Publication Date:
03 March 2008 (online)

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Abstract

Ten patients underwent reconstruction of skull base defects between 1989 and 1992. In this series, the maximum size of the skull base defect was 6 x cm. Three patients underwent bone grafts to reinforce the skull base. The postoperative course of seven patients without bone grafts was uneventful. There was no cerebrospinal fluid leakage, meningitis, extradural abscess, on brain herniation. On the other hand, two of the three patients with bone grafts developed extradural abseesses requiring the bone grafts to be removed. Although the number of patients in this series is not large, this study demonstrates that the use of bone grafts in reconstruction of skull base detects could be one of the factors in increasing the chances of infectious complications. We think that a bone graft is not necessary to reconstruct moderate-sized skull base defects.

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