What are the complications of cranioplasty?

As the protective barrier of people’s brain, the skull carries the most important responsibility of life. Cranial defects due to various accidental causes leave brain tissues vulnerable to secondary injuries due to the loss of the external barrier. To avoid this, patients need to undergo cranial repair as early as possible to restore the intracranial pressure to a normal and stable state as much as possible. Reducing the dramatic daily changes in brain pressure caused by the cranial defect has continued severe damage and functional impact on the brain. Most hospitals today still use titanium mesh as repair material for skull repair, and titanium mesh for skull repair shows more complications, such as subscalp fluid, infection, material exposure, loose collapse, local deformation pain, rejection reaction, epilepsy, cerebral crest fluid leakage, local hematoma, skin flap necrosis, etc. The causes are related to repair material. To reduce the occurrence of cranial repair complications,, PEEK material is a semicrystalline thermoplastic material that is resistant to high temperatures, chemical resistance, fatigue resistance, and has excellent strength hardness and toughness. Compared to titanium mesh, PEEK has a modulus of elasticity close to that of autologous bone, providing better protection against trauma-induced brain injury. PEEK has the advantages of fewer complications, higher efficiency, and lower rejection in skull repair, and does not affect future medical imaging, such as CT or MRI, after surgery. The use of 3D printing technology allows PEEK to be shaped perfectly to the patient’s skull defect. It also reduces the time and risk of surgery to a large extent.