Three-layered osteodural plasty for severe anterior skull base and facial injuries. Report of eleven cases

Background and purposeThe upper cranial trauma of high force and wide area of application leads to fractures of calvaria, the skull base, and the viscerocranium. The aim of the study was to present eleven patients treated for severe anterior skull base and facial defects by means of three-layered osteodural plasty.Materials and methodsThe operative tactics consisted of bicoronal incision, bifrontal craniotomy, closure of the dura mater damage with a pericranium, reconstruction of bone defects with autologous bone grafts and plasty with anteriorly pedicled pericranial flap on the supratrochlear and supraorbital vessels.ResultsDuring follow-up, which lasted 2–7 years, none of the patients developed any early or late postoperative complications.ConclusionsThe three-layer osteodural plasty of severe anterior skull base injuries with the use of autologous bone grafts for the reconstruction of craniofacial skeleton resulted in a good final functional, morphological and aesthetic outcome in all patients.