Reuse of a Reversed "Bone Pad" to Perforate Incompletely Penetrated Burr Holes Created by Automatic-Releasing Cranial Perforators.

BACKGROUND: It can be difficult to make complete burr holes using a perforator with automatic releasing systems in cases of a soft diploe or thick calvarial bone.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the utility of a flipped "bone pad" (BP) in recovery of penetration failure when using an automatic releasing perforator.

METHODS: For craniotomy or ventricular drainage, the first step is to make 1 or more burr holes using a craniotome. Neurosurgeons sometimes incompletely penetrate the skull using the latest tools. As a countermeasure for such cases, we have developed a simple and practical method. When making a perforation using a high-speed perforator, a round bone piece we call the BP is formed just above the dura. We pulled the BP from a completed burr hole, and placed the reversed BP in position at the bottom of the incompletely perforated burr hole. The BP acted as a new hard surface, preventing the automatic releasing system from activating, and allowed the burr hole to be completed by the craniotome without the need for additional tools.

RESULTS: With this technique, we have successfully completed 6 out of 7 imperfectly perforated burr holes using a perforator with an automatic releasing system. There were no technique-related complications, such as plunging or dural laceration.

CONCLUSIONS: The method has the advantage that the BP can be obtained without drilling an additional burr hole, and can be completed without the need for increasing cost, time, or instrument usage.