Usefulness of ceramic implants in neurosurgery.

The authors have designed various implants made of alumina ceramic for neurosurgical use. They were used for reconstruction of the sellar floor and orbital wall and for cranioplasty to repair bone defects in both the convexity and the suboccipital region. Burr hole and sphenoid buttons were made to prevent postoperative dents in the skin. A ceramic-silicon sponge was developed as a marker prosthesis for neurovascular decompression. There were no untoward side effects such as infection or rejection by recipient tissue in humans or dogs. The advantages and disadvantages of the material are discussed.