Fixed posterior cranial vault expansion technique

Abstract

Background: Different techniques to reshape the posterior skull vault have been developed in the last decades, all sharing the same goals of increasing the skull volume, decreasing the intracranial pressure (ICP), correcting the cranial dysmorphy, and contributing to a better growth of the skull. Though over the last years most refinements in these techniques have focused on the use of hardware as distractors or springs, the fixed posterior vault expansion remains a valuable procedure for cranial remodeling.

Methods: We describe in details the technique used for fixed posterior vault expansion in children that is applied at the French Referral center for Craniosynostosis of Lyon, France.

Discussion: The fixed posterior vault expansion increases the risk of perioperative complications due to the elevation of the posterior bone flap from the dura but allows an immediate decompression and correction of the shape, simplifying the postoperative course.

Keywords: Craniosynostosis; Lambdoid sutures; Occipital bone; Posterior vault volume.