Pooja Kanhya Lal, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim.
The evolution of cranioplasty: a review of graft types, storage options and operative technique.
Pak J Neurological Sci Jan ;7(3):21-7.

Cranioplasty is a neurosurgical procedure to repair cranial defects to restore functional anatomy preventing any neurological drawbacks and taking into account the cosmetic issues. This procedure has evolved over a period of many years, with advancements regarding the knowledge of materials to be used and storage techniques. In the present age, although many materials are being used to serve as bone flaps in cranioplasty, no direct consensus considering the outcomes has been reported. Data suggests that while non-autologous flaps are also used widely for their serving purposes, autologous flaps are reported to have better outcomes, with lesser cases resulting in infections or any other complications. In peds patients specifically, autologous bone flaps allow bone remolding and bone growth which is restricted in non-autologous flaps. Several storage techniques have also been reported, with some most widely used as preservation of bone under subcutaneous abdominal tissue, preservation of the bone in the subgaleal space on the edges of the craniotomy and freezing the bone flap. Although no direct data is present on to which one has better outcomes, the freezing technique is most widely used. Different temperatures are used in different hospital settings to freeze the flaps.

PakMediNet -Pakistan's largest Database of Pakistani Medical Journals - http://www.pakmedinet.com