Management of syndromic craniosynostosis using posterior cranial vault distraction osteogenesis:preliminary findings

Abstract

To explore the effect of managing syndromic craniosynostosis using posterior vault distraction osteogenesis. The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study of four children with syndromic craniosynostosis treated between 2015 January to 2016 March using posterior vault distraction osteogenesis. The posterior craniotomy was performed from vertex, biparietally to a point above the occipital protuberance. Two distraction devices were fixed in the parasagittal,collinear position. After a latency of 3 days, the device was activated at 0.5 mm/day. After the distraction, the consolidation period was about 6 months. The average distraction distance was 27.3 mm (range,25 to 30 mm).Cerebrospinal fluid leak happened in one patient. After taken the 3D CT scan, all of them were undertaken the second operation of removing the distraction devices. All the patients were followed up at a mean of 12.8 months (range,7 to 20 months). It is effective to enlarge the posterior cranial vault using distraction osteogenesis for the syndromic craniosynostosis.