X-Ray microanalytical demonstration of osteogenesis after hydroxylapatite/plaster frontal sinus cranioplasty in cats

Abstract

The repair of cranial defects with methyl methacrylate is generally successful with the exception of the frontal sinus where infection is a problem due to the connection of the sinus with the nasal cavity.Composite hydroxylapatite/plaster implants have been used successfully for various jawbone defects in many experimental animals and patients. The plaster prevents the scatter of the hydroxylapatite (HA) particles during, and migration after, the implantation procedure. It also facilitates tailoring of the implant to fit the defect. The plaster is resorbed in a period of weeks and replaced at the same rate by infiltrating fibrovascular tissue which maintains the shape and integrity of the implant. Postoperative infection is rare, and then limited almost exclusively to cases where it had been observed preoperatively. It was, therefore, of interest to study HA/plaster for frontal sinus cranioplasty in cats.