Distinguishing Between Lambdoid Craniosynostosis and Deformational Plagiocephaly: A Review of This Paradigm Shift in Clinical Decision-Making and Lesson for the Future

Management of Sagittal and Lambdoid Craniosynostosis: Minimally Invasive Approaches

The resurgence of strip craniectomies began in the mid-1990s with advances in surgical technique and anesthesia coupled with the critical observation that earlier interventions benefitted from an easily molded skull. Jimenez and Barone's pioneering introduction of endoscopic approaches to strip craniectomies coupled with postoperative helmeting in newborns and young infants and Claes Lauritzen's introduction of spring-mediated cranioplasty began the era of minimally invasive approaches in the surgical correction of craniosynostosis. This article provides technical descriptions of these treatment modalities, a comparative literature review, and our institutional algorithms for the correction of sagittal craniosynostosis and unilambdoid craniosynostosis.

Fronto-Orbital Advancement for Metopic and Unilateral Coronal Craniosynostoses

Fronto-orbital advancement remains a powerful technique for the correction of anterior cranial vault differences related to metopic (trigonocephaly) or unilateral coronal (anterior plagiocephaly) craniosynostoses. Traditional fronto-orbital advancement requires access to the forehead and superior 2/3 of the orbit via a coronal incision. The frontal bone and orbital segment (bandeau) are then separated from the skull and reshaped. In patients with metopic craniosynostosis, the bandeau and frontal bone will need to be advanced and widened. In patients with unilateral coronal craniosynostosis, the bandeau will need to be "untwisted" to address the supraorbital retrusion on the affected side, the affected orbit will need to be shortened and widened, and the frontal bone flap will need to be proportionately advanced on the affected side. Overcorrection of the affected dimension should be undertaken to account for growth and relapse.

Management of Sagittal and Lambdoid Craniosynostosis: Open Cranial Vault Expansion and Remodeling

The prevalence of sagittal and lambdoid suture craniosynostosis differs considerably, as they are notably the most and least prevalent sutures involved in isolated suture craniosynostosis, respectively. The goals of reconstructing the cranial vault in both entities is the same: to release the fused suture, expand cranial volume, restore normal head shape and morphology, and allow for normal growth of the cranial vault. With regards to sagittal suture synostosis, opinions vary on whether reconstruction should focus on either the anterior or poster cranial vault. In contrast, the poster cranial vault is always targeted in lambdoid suture craniosynostosis.