Increases in Cranial Volume with Posterior Cranial Vault Distraction in 31 Consecutive Cases

Posterior cranial vault distraction (PCVD) is a technique widely used in surgical treatment of craniosynostosis when cranial expansion is required. It has proven to be safe and to allow a significant increase of intracranial volume.

To evaluate increases in intracranial volume as a result of PCVD performed in Oulu Craniofacial center using 2 different methods based on 3-dimensional (3-D) photogrammetric imaging or plain skull radiographs.

All children less than 16 yr of age who were treated by PCVD (n = 31) from 2009 to 2015 at the Oulu Craniofacial Center were included. All patients were followed at outpatient clinics with plain radiographs performed for follow-up. In 5 patients, additional 3-D photogrammetric imaging was done pre- and postoperatively.

The mean intracranial volume increase was 25.0%, ranging from 16.9% to 39.4%. In 5 patients, the increase in volume was calculated from the photogrammetric 3-D images comprising a mean of 17.4%. Volume calculations from cephalograms in the same patients gave a mean of 20.8%. Whether the distraction was a primary operation or patient had undergone previous cranioplasty did not influence the achieved volumetric results. There were no statistically significant differences in the distraction results between different diagnostic groups.

PCVD is an effective surgical method to increase intracranial volume in a variety of clinical entities. Volumetric results of this procedure could be easily evaluated using 3-D photogrammetric imaging or plane radiographs that expose the patients to only low ionizing radiation doses.