TY - JOUR
T1 - The current state of cranioplasty in Europe
T2 - Results from a European cranioplasty survey
AU - the European Cranioplasty Survey Group
AU - Naser, Paul Vincent
AU - Tsitsopoulos, Parmenion
AU - Zacharias, Friederike
AU - Castaño-Leon, Ana M.
AU - Buki, Andras
AU - Depreitere, Bart
AU - Van Essen, Thomas
AU - Korhonen, Tommi K.
AU - Mee, Harry
AU - Hossain, Iftakher
AU - Posti, Jussi
AU - Lippa, Laura
AU - Papadopoulos, Marios C.
AU - Terpolilli, Nicole
AU - Marklund, Niklas
AU - Petr, Ondra
AU - Toth, Peter
AU - Luoto, Teemu
AU - Krieg, Sandro M.
AU - Unterberg, Andreas W.
AU - Younsi, Alexander
AU - Jaoude, Samiya Abi
AU - Al Barajraji, Mejdeddine
AU - Bimpis, Alexios
AU - Zigouris, Andreas
AU - Xhumari, Artur
AU - Ozturk, Sefa
AU - Sá-Marta, Eduarda
AU - Antoniades, Elias
AU - Chronakis, Efkleidis
AU - Travaglini, Francesco
AU - Gatos, Charalampos
AU - Alexiou, George A.
AU - Gerasimou, Theodore
AU - Holling, Markus
AU - Efe, Ibrahim E.
AU - Mavridis, Ioannis
AU - Grigoriadis, Savvas
AU - Szczygielski, Jacek
AU - Loan, James JM
AU - Pellejero, Juan Casado
AU - Jacikevičius, Kęstutis
AU - Vlachos, Konstantinos
AU - Faropoulos, Konstantinos
AU - Sabramowicz, Michał
AU - Olivecrona, Magnus
AU - Gandía-González, Maria L.
AU - Bruneau, Michaël
AU - Müther, Michael
AU - Syrmos, Nikolaos
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Authors
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - Introduction: Cranioplasty, a surgical procedure to restore skull integrity and aesthetic contour following decompressive craniectomy, poses challenges in material selection and timing, driven by the lack of guidelines and ongoing regulatory changes. Research question: This study aimed to provide an overview of current cranioplasty practices in Europe, explicitly addressing a potential shift towards alloplastic materials and the management of patients with concomitant hydrocephalus. Material and methods: An online survey was conducted among European neurosurgical centers from January to March 2024, collecting data on material preferences, timing of procedures, and management strategies for cranioplasty. Descriptive and statistical analyses were performed on 110 complete responses. Results: Respondents favored alloplastic materials over autologous bone for cranioplasty, citing regulatory constraints and reduced infection risk as primary reasons. Variability was observed in the timing of procedures and the management of patients with hydrocephalus, with most centers adopting staged approaches. Discussion and conclusion: The shift towards alloplastic materials in cranioplasty reflects regulatory pressures rather than material-specific considerations. Despite variability in practice, our findings underscore the need for standardized guidelines and further research to optimize patient outcomes. This study provides valuable insights into current practices and highlights areas for future investigation in cranioplasty.
AB - Introduction: Cranioplasty, a surgical procedure to restore skull integrity and aesthetic contour following decompressive craniectomy, poses challenges in material selection and timing, driven by the lack of guidelines and ongoing regulatory changes. Research question: This study aimed to provide an overview of current cranioplasty practices in Europe, explicitly addressing a potential shift towards alloplastic materials and the management of patients with concomitant hydrocephalus. Material and methods: An online survey was conducted among European neurosurgical centers from January to March 2024, collecting data on material preferences, timing of procedures, and management strategies for cranioplasty. Descriptive and statistical analyses were performed on 110 complete responses. Results: Respondents favored alloplastic materials over autologous bone for cranioplasty, citing regulatory constraints and reduced infection risk as primary reasons. Variability was observed in the timing of procedures and the management of patients with hydrocephalus, with most centers adopting staged approaches. Discussion and conclusion: The shift towards alloplastic materials in cranioplasty reflects regulatory pressures rather than material-specific considerations. Despite variability in practice, our findings underscore the need for standardized guidelines and further research to optimize patient outcomes. This study provides valuable insights into current practices and highlights areas for future investigation in cranioplasty.
KW - Alloplastic materials
KW - Autologous bone
KW - Cranioplasty
KW - European survey
KW - Hydrocephalus management
KW - Regulatory changes
U2 - 10.1016/j.bas.2025.104214
DO - 10.1016/j.bas.2025.104214
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85218969973
SN - 2772-5294
VL - 5
JO - Brain and Spine
JF - Brain and Spine
M1 - 104214
ER -