Reshaping of the skull in the early surgical correction of scaphocephaly

It is possible to modify the mathematical patterns of projection geometry to reshape the skull in cranio-facial surgery. The technique of the ‘gore-pattern’ in accordance with the Hendel procedure changes the shape of individual sections of the skull by changing their radius of curvature. This technique was well known to engineers who built complex structures such as ships, hulls, airfoils and domes. A rigid form of the desired shape is the result to be achieved, which becomes permanent with healing. The gore-pattern is developed by cutting the surface of the sphere along longitudinal lines. Straightening each piece results in a series of elliptical segments referred to as ‘gores’. When constructing a sphere from a flat sheet of material, each segment (gore) is bent through 180 degrees and then assembled side-by-side into a sphere. If the gore is cut in the middle, a hemisphere results. Because there are only small areas of contact between the gores, less bending force is necessary to fold a gore-pattern into a sphere than a zone-pattern. The interesting points of this technique, its advantages, and clinical application in the treatment of skull deformity in scaphocephaly are illustrated.