Switch Cranioplasty and BMP-2 in a Hemicranial Reconstruction in an Infant

摘要

The bone inducing property of rhBMP-2 (human recombinant bone morphogenetic protein) and its role in craniofacial surgery are currently investigated. The scientific effort is in particular directed toward evaluating the efficacy of the factor in promoting and regulating bone growth, bone remodeling and bone repair. We report the anecdotal use of BMP-2 and its efficacy in a peculiar case of hemicranial reconstruction. The infant sustained, at 3 months of age, a massive dog bite to the right side of the cranium creating a defect that comprised the entire right parietal bone and the majority of the right frontal bone. The reconstruction was performed with a switch cranioplasty, banked autogenous bone graft to the left temporoparietal area and the use of BMP-2 impregnated sheets to the left frontoparietal area. In a very short time the bone generation process allowed the formation of a thick and dense neo-frontoparietal cranium, leaving just a small defect in the occipital region.