Background:

Cranioplasty is the used method in neurosurgery for repairing cranial bone defects. In our environment, the most widely used material is cryopreserved autologous bone (ABCp).

Objective:

A retrospective observational study was proposed in order to analyze complications in patients who underwent decompressive craniectomy for brain trauma, with subsequent cranioplasty with ABCp.

Method:

Patients who underwent cranioplasties with consecutive ABCp performed at our institution over a four-year period (2016-2019) with subsequent follow-up were included, collecting multiple variables in relation to the appearance of complications.

Results:

113 cranioplasties were performed, of which 85.8% (n = 97) were performed with ABCp. Mainly with frontotemporoparietal bone defect (94.84%) performed late (> 3 months) in 91.76%. The complication rate was 16.49%, the most significant being the infection of the surgical site (n = 8, 8.24%), the presence of intracranial hematoma (n = 3, 3.09%) and the reabsorption of the autologous bone (n = 2, 2.06%), meriting surgical management in nine of them (9.27%).

Conclusions:

ABCp is a valid and safe option, which meets the basic characteristics to consider it the ideal material, with an acceptable rate of complications, biocompatible, with osteogenic potential, adequate protection of the brain and decrease in surgery costs.

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