Thin-shaving Technique to Harvest Calvarial Bone Graft with Periosteum for Treatment of Orbital Blow-out Fractures

ABSTRACT

Bone grafting is a preferred method for treatment of orbital blow-out fracture. However, in conventional bone graft technique, a harvested bony segment is often too thick to be directly grafted into the orbit so it requires trimming procedures, and its curvature is not easily matched to orbital fractured site. From January 1997 to July 1998, 17 patients with blow-out fracture were treated by using thin shaving techniques for harvest of calvarial bone with periosteum. The harvested bony segments were grafted as onlay method Eight patients complained diplopia postoperatively, but all resolved in a few months. We found no shifting of bone graft in postoperative CT scans and there were no hematoma, seroma, or intracranial hematoma. The advantages of our method are as follows. First, donor site defect was much smaller than in conventional method Second, the curvature of bone graft is easily molded and matched to cover the orbital fractured site. Third, the harvest of bone grafts easy and can be done rapidly. Fourth, the periosteum is attached We conclude that this method may be used as an alternative technique for harvesting bone graft for treatment of blow-out fractures.