Subtotal neonatal calvariectomy

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Abstract
A subtotal calvariectomy was performed on rabbits 10-14 days old. The animals were allowed to grow and were then sacrificed serially so that the sutural and skeletal redevelopment could be analyzed through a combination of gross, radiographic and histological techniques. Calvarial regeneration is a progressive process with a definite pattern and rate of development. During the regenerative process, bone was deposited both at the surgical margin and as islands within the surgical defect. The eventual approximation of these areas of ossification produced multiple fibrous articulations. The majority of these articulations were obliterated by bone union, except for the midsagittal, coronal and metopic sutures, which were re-established in their appropriate anatomical positions. The maintenance of dural integrity during the surgical phase and the regeneration and establishment of pericranial continuity during the postoperative period were believed to be important in the re-establishment of normal sutural and skeletal architecture.