Cranial Distraction for Plagiocephaly: Quantitative Morphologic Analyses of Cranium Using Three-Dimensional Computed Tomography and a Life-Size Model

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the morphologic changes of the craniofacial skeleton in synostotic plagiocephaly after cranial distraction. Preoperative and postoperative computed tomography scans were taken, and three-dimensional reconstruction was then performed. Three measurements were obtained: intracranial volume, volume of the middle cranial fossa, and length of the zygomatic arch. Intracranial volume reached values that were normal for a 2-year-old child postoperatively, and the discrepancy between left and right half volumes decreased over time. The discrepancy of the volume of the middle cranial fossa also decreased after surgery, and the asymmetry of the zygomatic arch improved significantly. Based on these objective findings, the authors believe that cranial distraction could favorably affect craniofacial dysmorphology of synostotic frontal plagiocephaly.