A Case Report of an Immediate Frontal Sinus Reconstruction Using an Outer Table Calvarial Bone Graft in an En Bloc Manner

Background: In a frontal sinus reconstruction, the literature primarily recommends a surgical approach for definite treatment with the exception of for anterior wall fractures with no dislocation. Many studies have assessed a range of methods for the reduction of frontal sinus fractures. This paper presents a case, in whom the anterior wall of the frontal sinus was reconstructed using an outer table calvarial bone graft in an en bloc manner. Patient and methods: A 36-year-old male visited the emergency room with a heavy injury to the forehead. He was diagnosed with fractures of the anterior and posterior wall of the frontal sinus. The neurosurgeon removed the fractured area and repaired the meninges. Afterwards, cranialization was performed and the opening of the nasofrontal duct was obstructed. After fixing the removed bone to its original location, all fragments of fractured anterior wall were purged out and the anterior wall reconstructed using an en bloc calvarial bone graft. Results: In the post-operative 8 months period, there were no complications, the round contour of the forehead was expressed well and the patient was satisfied with the result. Conclusion: There are many methods for reconstructing the anterior wall of the frontal sinus. On the other hand, in cases of large fracture sites with many fractured bone fragments, en bloc harvesting of the outer table calvarial bone could be a better choice than making use of only plates and screws because this method shows a good results in terms of aesthetics with a low complication rate. (J Korean Cleft Palate Craniofac Assoc 12: 33, 2011