BONE FLAPS:

Cranioplasty is the surgical repair of a bone deformity of the skull. Autologousbone grafts are preferred more since the cranial bone flaps will not be subject to rejection bythe host and they lower the entry of foreign materials into the body. Preservation of cranialbone flaps is done in numerous ways, namely cryopreservation after a decompressivecraniectomy, intracorporeal preservation and cranioplasty with subcutaneously preservedautologous bone grafts. The method of preserving cranial bone flaps using cryopreservationhas many advantages; it is a safe, simple and an effective method for autologous bone grafts.The cryopreservation is also associated with higher infection rates and bone resorption ascomplications when compared to intracorporeal preservation. Intracoporeal preservationtechnique has many advantages, particularly that this surgery is easy, safe and cost-effective.The duration of the operation is short. The autologous bone flaps are not subject to rejectionand there is no need for intra-operative bone shaping. Therefore on the basis of review ofliterature authors concluded that intracorporeal preservation is better than cryopreservation ofcranial bone flaps, in terms of efficacy and complications.