Alternative techniques in the treatment of unilateral coronal synostosis

Premature closure of one coronal suture results in bilateral abnormalities. There is always ipsilateral flatness of the orbital rim, and contralateral frontal bossing is often found. The authors have employed 3 operative techniques for correction of unilateral coronal synostosis: frontal bone overlay, lateral canthal advancement, and the tongue-in-groove procedure. The choice of operative technique depends upon the exact deformity to be corrected. The authors believe that altering the relations between the bone and dura by techniques such as radical remodeling and dural plication may improve the results of surgical correction of craniosynostosis.