| Abstrakt: |
Background: Cranioplasty after craniectomy restores cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) flow dynamics, protects the brain from trauma, and restores skull contour. However, post-cranioplasty extradural dead space may persist, leading to infection and necessitating further surgical interventions. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify and analyze the existing peer-reviewed literature discussing the management of extra-dural dead space during cranioplasty. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed via searches of Embase, Cochrane, and PubMed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Included studies focused on managing extradural dead space in supratentorial cranioplasty using rigid implants or autologous bone. Studies solely using soft tissue repairs or non-primary studies were excluded. Data extraction covered study characteristics, management techniques, complications, and patient outcomes. Results: Out of 2196 articles, 135 underwent full-text review, and 28 were included, discussing 117 patients. Indications for dead space management included intractable infection (86%), syndrome of the trephined (25%), high-volume dead space (18%), persistent CSF leak (18%), and scarred dura (7%). Management techniques included muscle flaps (46%), omental flaps (14%), fat grafts (7%), and placement of non-organic materials (11%). Complications occurred in 32% of studies, including flap failure, hematoma, and CSF leak. Muscle flaps had a 22% complication rate but led to a high rate of infection resolution (97%). Conclusions: Managing extradural dead space with vascularized flaps during cranioplasty can reduce infection risk but may be associated with high complication rates. The lack of standardized practices and limited high-quality studies highlight the need for further research to establish the safety, efficacy, and best patient selection criteria for these techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
