Subcranial craniotomy approach for frontobasal fracture correction.

OBJECTIVE: Frontobasilar fracture types and the outcome of patients after management with the subcranial approach technique were evaluated.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 48 patients (45 males, mean age 38,5 years; range 16-82 years) who had a subcranial approach for frontal base fracture correction between April 1996 and April 2011 at a tertiary care academic hospital in Turku, Finland.

RESULTS: Sixteen (33%) patients had fractures including all frontobasilar fracture types (Type I-IV) i.e. fractures that involved frontal sinuses, orbital roofs, ethmoidal region, cribriform plate and sphenoidal region. Twenty-seven (56%) patients were considered to have had brain damage at presentation. Forty percent of patients were suffering from synchronous trauma. Peroperatively, 31 (65%) patients had exposure or defect of the dura due to bone dehiscence but only two patients suffered from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistula following surgery. CSF fistulae were covered by pericranium in most of the cases (68%). There was no postoperative meningitis. Thirty-eight percent of the patients needed further operation with a subcranial craniotomy following primary reconstruction. At the last follow-up visit 35% were suffering from permanent neurological problems following brain injury.

CONCLUSIONS: Subcranial approach seemed successful in the management of all frontobasilar fractures in this series with reasonably low complication rate. Therefore, we would recommend it as the technique of choice in multiple and even in the most complicated frontal base fractures.