Cranial Bone Grafting

Abstract

This chapter provides a summary of calvarial bone graft utilization and technique. The authors provide a brief review of the anatomy, graft type selection, and procedural steps. The needs of the recipient site dominate decision-making regarding the calvarial graft. These needs include structural integrity, size, shape, and fixation of the graft. Autogenous calvarial grafting is a valuable technique for any surgeon working in craniofacial surgery. With proper consideration of recipient site needs and harvest technique, autogenous calvarial grafting is a useful procedure with benefits outweighing the inherent surgical risks. Also discussed is virtual surgical planning (VSP), which has contributed an additional option for calvarial defect reconstruction by broadening the treatment options to include custom three-dimensional printed polyether ether ketone (PEEK) inlays.