Surgical outcomes using bioabsorbable plating systems in pediatric craniofacial surgery

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the surgical outcomes of the 1.5-mm LactoSorb plating system (Walter Lorenz Surgical, Inc., Jacksonville, FL, U.S.A.) used to stabilize the osteotomized calvarial bone in pediatric patients who have undergone craniofacial surgery. The records of 33 consecutive pediatric patients who underwent craniofacial surgery from January 1997 through December 1997 were reviewed. There were 18 male and 15 female patients, and the age ranged from 4 months to 12 years. Patients were followed-up at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery. For those patients reviewed, the following information is included: age, sex, diagnosis, surgical procedures, number and size of LactoSorb plates and screws used in each patient, operative difficulty of the screws and the heat pack, and postoperative complications, including wound healing, palpability, and infection. The LactoSorb plating system was used to stabilize the osteotomized calvarial bones in 33 patients who were diagnosed with: 1) craniosynostosis, 2) hydrocephalus, 3) fibrous dysplasia, or 4) cranial deformation. Orbital rim advancement and anterior cranial vault reshaping were performed in 17 patients. Posterior cranial vault reshaping, orbital rim advancement, and anterior cranial vault reshaping were performed in eight patients. Posterior cranial vault reshaping only was performed in seven patients. Excision of fibrous dysplasia from temporal bone was performed in one patient. One patient had a postoperative wound infection, and LactoSorb plates were palpable postoperatively in four patients. The LactoSorb plating system provided adequate rigidity for stabilizing the osteotomized calvarial bone during surgery and maintained adequate rigidity after surgery during the bone healing period before absorption. This plating system showed satisfactory results in pediatric craniofacial surgery patients.