Reossification of the orbital wall following ventral translocation of the fronto-orbital bar and cranial vault remodeling

The purposes of this study were to determine the extent of ossification of the orbit following ventral translocation of the fronto-orbital bar and to find out whether age at the time of the procedure and presence of a concomi tant syndrome adversely affect ossification. A retrospective review of 27 p atients with craniosynostosis was conducted at the St. Louis Children's Hos pital and the Children's Hospital of Oklahoma. Patients with preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative three-dimensional computed tomography scan s were included. Eighty-eight percent of the lateral orbital wall defects a nd 92 percent of the defects within the roof of the orbit ossified complete ly in the postoperative period. When syndromic patients were compared with nonsyndromic patients (based on clinical findings only), three of the 19 sy ndromic defects and three of the 30 nonsyndromic defects demonstrated incom plete ossification in the lateral orbital wall (p > 0.05). Similarly, two o f the 19 syndromic defects and two of the 30 nonsyndromic defects demonstra ted incomplete ossification within the roof of the orbit (p > 0.05). With r espect to age at the time of the procedure, four of the 37 defects and two of the 12 defects demonstrated incomplete ossification in the lateral orbit al wall for age at the time of the procedure less than 12 months and greate r than 12 months, respectively (p > 0.05). Similarly, two of the 37 defects and two of the 12 defects had incomplete ossification within the roof of t he orbit for age at the time of the procedure less than 12 months versus mo re than 12 months, respectively (P > 0.05). Ossification of the orbital wal l and roof is complete in the majority of cases within 1 year after the pro cedure, and neither age at the time of the procedure nor presence of a conc omitant syndrome adversely affects ossification of the orbit after ventral translocation of the fronto-orbital bandeau.