Background: Many materials and techniques have been described for the treatment of craneal bone defects derived from decompressive craneotomy procedure, useful for endocranean hypertension treatment.

The exclusive use of titanium mesh in large craneal defects may cause the exposure of the implant. Other material, acrylic cement, lacks of ductibility and resistance, causing poor aesthetical results.

Purpose: This work presents the joined use of titanium mesh and acrylic cement in reconstruction procedure of craneal bone defects. The aim of the study is establish the advantage of this technique over the use of exclusive titanium mesh.

Materials and methods: The research is based on 67 surgically treated patients from Hospital Guillermo Grant Benavente, Chile between 2008 and 2010. The craneoplastic surgery was applied to male (41) and female (26) of ages between 3 and 69, all with large defects (≥10 cm), most of these over right frontal parietal (29). This work reviews the relation of localization, aesthetical results and presence of complications.

Results: Over 37 patients surgically treated with titanium mesh, 5 complications (13.5%) were found, most of these (60%) correspond to a exposure of the implant and related infection, causing the lost of the titanium mesh, while only 3 complications were found in 26 patients treated with mesh and acrylic (11.5%) being most of these (66%) dehiscence, without presence of exposition or infection.

Conclusions: Aesthetically the result of the mesh-acrylic technique was better than the results of exclusive use of the titanium mesh in large defects in the frontal bone.

Conflict of interest: None declared.