Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

When the bone flap hits the floor.

Brian T Jankowitz1, Douglas S Kondziolka

  • 1Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.

Neurosurgery
|September 7, 2006
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

<i>In-vitro</i> flow assessment study of intra-saccular endovascular devices for brain aneurysm treatment: SEAL™ vs. WEB™.

Frontiers in neurology·2026
Same author

Thrombectomy in Posterior Circulation Tandem Occlusions: Multicenter Comparative Analysis of Procedural Techniques and Predictors of Clinical Outcomes.

Radiology·2026
Same author

Middle Meningeal Artery Embolization With n-Butyl Cyanoacrylate in Patients With Chronic Subdural Hematoma: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

JAMA neurology·2026
Same author

Effect of Acute Intracranial Stenting in Patients With Successful Reperfusion Following Large-Vessel Occlusion Secondary to Intracranial Atherosclerosis: Secondary Analyses of the RESCUE-ICAS Study.

Stroke (Hoboken, N.J.)·2026
Same author

Middle Meningeal Artery Embolization with n-Butyl Cyanoacrylate for the Treatment of Subdural Hematomas: The MEMBRANE Study Design.

Stroke (Hoboken, N.J.)·2026
Same author

Transradial Versus Transfemoral Access for Mechanical Thrombectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Stroke (Hoboken, N.J.)·2026

Dropping a bone flap during neurosurgery is a rare but preventable complication. Disinfection and replacement of the bone flap is a viable treatment option, avoiding cranioplasty.

Area of Science:

  • Neurosurgery
  • Surgical Complications
  • Bone Flap Management

Background:

  • Limited published data exists on the incidence, treatment, and outcomes of bone flap contamination in neurosurgery.
  • Bone flap contamination is an underreported complication during craniotomy procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review departmental experience with dropped bone flaps to identify prevention methods.
  • To assess treatment strategies for contaminated bone flaps and their outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of 14 dropped bone flap incidents over 16 years at a single institution.
  • A survey was distributed to neurosurgeons globally to gather data on their experiences and management techniques.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Fourteen incidents of dropped bone flaps were recorded, with causes including bone elevation, instrument transfer, and plating.
  • Treatment involved disinfection (betadine/antibiotics, autoclaving) or discarding the flap for mesh cranioplasty.
  • No infections were reported post-treatment; 66% of surveyed surgeons had encountered this complication, with 83% favoring flap replacement after disinfection.

Conclusions:

  • Dropping a bone flap is an uncommon yet preventable neurosurgical complication.
  • Bone flap replacement after disinfection (antibiotics, betadine, autoclaving) is a suitable alternative to cranioplasty.
  • Disinfection and re-implantation of the bone flap offers a cost-effective and time-efficient management strategy.