Contribution of the Dura & the Pericranium in Absorption of Cranial Bone

Many craniofacial and neurosurgical procedures rely on cranial bone as a bone graft. In the majority of instances, the bone heals and gives good results. But we found that if either the dura or the pericranium were missing adjacent to the cranial bone, bone absorption would be increased. We studied a single animal model, investigating the contribution of the dura and the pericranium in the process of cranial bone absorption. The animals were divided into four groups of each five animals depending on the differential blockade of the dura and/or the pericranium by silastic sheet. Bilateral $100-mm^2$, parietal bone flaps were harvested from mature rabbits. Animals were humanely killed after 12 weeks, and histomorphometric analysis was performed. The volume maintenance is as follows; Group I; 89.0%, Group II; 80.0%, Group III; 63.3%, Group IV; 52.4%. The weight maintenance; Group I; 87.1%, Group II; 79.4%, Group III; 61.6%, Group IV; 51.1%. The histological contribution of living bone; Group I; 92.9%, Group II; 85.6%, Group III; 71.1%, Group IV; 56.2%. Significantly increased bone absorption occurred in Group II, III, IV compared with Group I. Conclusions are: 1. Cranial bone absorption is effected by both the dura and the pericranium. 2. The dura is more important than the pericranium in preventing cranial bone absorption. 3. The dura to be the source of central cranial bone and the pericranium to be the source of peripheral cranial bone.

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