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Updated: Jul 17, 2026
Midface Hypoplasia and Cranial Base Morphology in Syndromic Craniosynostosis: A Comparative Analysis Study Using a Predictive Regression Model
Published on: November 4, 2025
Cranioplasty for midline metopic suture defects in adults with cleidocranial dysplasia
Taylor P McGuire1, Petrus P Gomes, David K Lam
1Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Objective:
Patients with cleidocranial dysplasia often express concerns related to their perception of an undesirable esthetic appearance of their forehead and skull because of a combination of the persistence of metopic suture defects and frontal bossing. This case series reviews the use of a cranioplasty technique that has been developed to address such concerns.
Study Design:
A series of 7 adult patients with cleidocranial dysplasia were treated using a cranioplasty technique to correct visible metopic suture defects in the forehead region. The patients were 4 males and 3 females with a mean age of 29.0 years. All 7 patients underwent identical cranioplasty procedures.
Results:
The metopic suture cranial defects were found to range in size from 0.6 to 2.4 cm in diameter and were present as full-thickness osseous defects in 4 of the 7 patients. All postoperative complications resolved spontaneously. Inpatient admission times ranged from 1 to 3 days. Follow-up ranged from 9 to 48 months with satisfactory subjective esthetic outcomes. The patients were content in all cases.
Conclusion:
This cranioplasty procedure successfully addresses the specific esthetic concerns of a rare and unique group of individuals. The procedure can be offered to cleidocranial dysplasia patients as part of their overall comprehensive craniomaxillofacial management.
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