Stability of fronto-orbital advancement in nonsyndromic bilateral coronal synostosis: A quantitative three-dimensional computed tomographic study

Fronto-orbital dysmorphology in nonsyndromic bilateral coronal synostosis includes frontal flattening, supraorbital recession, and ocular globe protrusion. Surgical advancement of the supraorbital region ('bandeau') is performed to correct these deformities. A retrospective analysis of 10 consecutive patients with nonsyndromic bilateral coronal synostosis was performed to assess the effect of two types of bandeau fixation at the nasion. The advanced bandeau was fixed medially at the nasion with a calvarial bone graft and polyglycolic acid sutures (bone graft/suture group, five patients) or with a microplate (plate group, five patients) and bilaterally at pterion with calvarial bone grafts and polyglycolic acid sutures (all patients). The cranio-orbital dysmorphology and the surgical results were studied using pre-, peri-, and post-operative three-dimensional computed tomographic (CT) data. Reformation, manipulation, editing, and quantitative measurements of the CT data were performed on a computer workstation and Analyze imaging program. Four measurements were performed to evaluate the fronto-orbital morphology: the length:width ratio of anterior cranial fossa, ventral globe index, cornea position, and supraorbital rim lag. The ventral globe index assessed the degree of eyeball protrusion out of the orbital cavity. Measurements of the cornea position anti supraorbital rim lag were performed on the longitudinal orbital projections of the CT data. Six normal skull CT scans were available for same measurement and comparison. Measurements of the preoperative fronto-orbital dysmorphology, in bilateral coronal synostosis were significantly different from those of normal subjects. One year after the surgery, the length:width ratio of the anterior cranial fossa was normalized in both groups. The ventral globe index was improved but not normalized in both groups, whereas the cornea position and supraorbital rim lag were improved in the bone graft/suture group but were normalized in the plate group. Based on the quantitative data, the surgical outcomes in the plate group were significantly better than those in the bone graft/suture group. Major relapse of surgical advancement in the bone graft/suture group seemed to occur in perioperative period. In summary, at 1 year postoperatively, the bandeau advancement improved but did not entirely normalize the fronto-orbital dysmorphology of nonsyndromic bilateral coronal synostosis in either group. We conclude that plate rigid fixation at the nasion provides superior stability for bandeau advancement compared with bone graft/suture fixation.