Contouring of the forehead irregularities (washboard effect) with bone biomaterial

Calvarial vault defects may be repaired with autologous bone or alloplastic materials, such as methyl methacrylate, hydroxyapatite, titanium, or porous polyethylene. The criterion standard for repairing small cranial defects is autogenous bone from iliac crest or split calvarial grafts. However, autogenous grafts may result in donor-site morbidity, increased operative time, reabsorption, blood loss, and additional time for recovery. An alloplastic material should have some ideal properties, including easy adaptation, biocompatibility, which permit ingrowth of new tissue, stability of shape, and low rate of reabsorption. An implant in this area should be easily shaped and positioned, allowing an easy tissue in growth.The authors report the case of a 50-year-old man with a deformity of the frontal region as a result of a frontonaso-orbitoethmoidal fracture after reduction and fixation of the fractures and right frontal sinus cranialization with frontal craniotomy via coronal approach. The deformity caused the typical aspect (washboard effect). Correction and reconstruction were performed by using Cerament (Bonesupport AB, Lund, Sweden), alloplastic biphasic material, composed of 60% α-hemihydrate of calcium sulfate and 40% hydroxyapatite. Four years after the surgery, the patient had recovered with satisfactory morphology of the forehead as well as disappearance of the frowning look in the frontal region. Copyright © 2012 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.