page_title: Cranioplasty
section_title: Modern history
hierarchical_section_title: Cranioplasty / History / Modern history
caption_attribution_description: Portrait of Gabriele Fallopius (Falloppio) (1523-1562), pupil of Vesalius and great anatomist in his own right. From a portrait in the Anatomical Institute, Padua Wellcome Images Keywords: Gabriel Fallopius; anatomist, 17th century
context_page_description: Cranioplasty is a surgical operation on the repairing of cranial defects caused by previous injuries or operations, such as decompressive craniectomy. It is performed by filling the defective area with a range of materials, usually a bone piece from the patient or a synthetic material. Cranioplasty is carried out by incision and reflection of the scalp after applying anaesthetics and antibiotics to the patient. The temporalis muscle is reflected, and all surrounding soft tissues are removed, thus completely exposing the cranial defect. The cranioplasty flap is placed and secured on the cranial defect. The wound is then sealed.
  Cranioplasty was closely related to trephination and the earliest operation is dated to 3000 BC. Currently, the procedure is performed for both cosmetic and functional purposes. Cranioplasty can restore the normal shape of the skull and prevent other complications caused by a sunken scalp, such as the "syndrome of the trephined". Cranioplasty is a risky operation, with potential risks such as bacterial infection and bone flap resorption.
context_section_description: Research on cranioplasty was not emphasised among early surgical authors in ancient Asia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, although there were research and practice on trephination in ancient Greece and Rome. More emphasis was placed on developing skills in applying dressing on an open wound.
  The earliest modern description of cranioplasty was written by surgeon Ibrahim bin Abdullah of the Ottoman Empire, in his surgical book Alâim-i Cerrâhîn in 1505. The book mentioned the use of xenografts from Kangal dogs or goats as materials for cranioplasty. Such materials were used due to the accessibility of these animals near battlefields, where the procedure is likely to be performed. 
  The first true description of cranioplasty in Europe was made by Fallopius in the 16th century, stating that the fractured cranium should be removed and be reinserted with a gold plate if the dura was damaged. This was questioned by other practitioners at his time, concerning that surgeons may keep the gold instead of using it for surgery. The first cranioplasty was reported by the Dutch surgeon Job Janszoon van Meekeren. The report described the use of a segment of a canine cranium as a material for cranioplasty on a nobleman in Moscow. The operation was successful, however, the use of canine bone in the operation was not accepted by the church and the man was forced to leave Russia.
  Since the first operation, bones from more animal species were used as xenografts for cranioplasty. These include dogs, apes, geese, rabbits, calves, eagles, oxen, and buffalos. In 1917, Wiliam Wayne Babcock reported the use of "soup bone", a piece of cooked and perforated animal bone as a xenograft.
caption: Portrait of Gabriele Fallopius
exif: {}