Anthropometric Outcome Measures in Patients With Metopic Craniosynostosis
Scott J Farber1, Dennis C Nguyen, Gary B Skolnick
1*Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine †Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO.
Purpose:
Treatment of metopic craniosynostosis is performed by either fronto-orbital advancement (FOA) or endoscopic-assisted techniques. Interfrontal angle (IFA) is a validated measure of trigonocephaly, but requires a computed tomography scan. The most common direct measure to assess surgical outcome in patients with trigonocephaly is frontal width (ft-ft). The aim of this study is to determine if frontal width correlates with IFA and successful surgical correction 1 year after treatment. A review of current morphologic assessment techniques is also provided.
Methods:
Three-dimensional computed tomography scans (preoperative and 1 year postoperative) of patients who underwent FOA (n = 13) or endoscopic (n = 13) treatment of metopic craniosynostosis were reviewed. Age-matched scans of unaffected patients served as controls. Frontal width was measured by a straight line between the bilateral frontotemporal points. Measurements were performed by 2 experienced observers and compared to IFA.
Results:
Mean frontal width at preoperative scan for endoscopic and open patients was 55 ± 0.6 and 64 ± 0.7 mm, respectively (Z-score 1.6 and -3.7). Mean frontal width at postoperative scan for endoscopic and open patients was 80 ± 0.4 and 81 ± 0.7 mm (Z-score 0.0 for both groups). Frontal width for endoscopic correction significantly correlated with IFA (r = 0.536, P = 0.005), as well as for the open patients (r = 0.704, P < 0.001).
Conclusion:
Frontal width normalizes 1 year after operation, regardless of technique. Advantage of frontal width is that it can be measured in the clinic using a spreading vernier caliper. It correlates well with IFA and can be used as a metric for morphologic outcome.
