Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Removing infected titanium mesh from the forehead with new surgery
By Zhao Y et al.·2026·Department of Burns and Wound Repair, China·View original on Europe PMC →
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Original publication title: Innovative Removal of Non-Marginally Exposed Hardware From the Frontal Region With Successful Wound Closure.
Plain-English summary
A 41-year-old woman had a titanium mesh implant in her skull after surgery for a serious head injury. About two months later, the mesh became exposed and infected, which is a challenging situation to treat. Doctors used a special dental tool to carefully remove the exposed part of the mesh and then applied a treatment that helps promote healing. Later, they took a small piece of skin from her scalp and used it to cover the area. The skin graft healed well, the infection cleared up, and the area looked good afterward.
Abstract
<h4>Rationale</h4>Titanium mesh is a common material for cranioplasty, but postoperative mesh exposure with infection poses a significant challenge-particularly for small, non-marginal defects where traditional instruments are ineffective.<h4>Patient concerns</h4>A 41-year-old female developed an infected, non-marginal titanium mesh exposure in the frontal region 60 days after implantation, which followed traumatic brain injury surgery.<h4>Diagnoses</h4>Open craniocerebral injury; open frontal bone fracture; focal cerebral contusion and laceration; status post-cranioplasty with titanium mesh; and exposure of frontal titanium mesh complicated by skin infection.<h4>Intervention</h4>An innovative approach was used: (1) A dental high-speed handpiece (tungsten steel burr) was used to precisely resect the exposed mesh; (2) Negative pressure wound therapy was administered to promote granulation tissue formation; (3) A thin skin graft, harvested from the scalp, was transplanted in a second-stage procedure.<h4>Outcomes</h4>The skin graft survived completely, with rapid healing at the donor site and no visible scarring. The wound closed fully, the infection resolved, and the aesthetic outcome was satisfactory.<h4>Lessons</h4>For small, non-marginal titanium mesh exposure, the dental high-speed handpiece is an effective resection tool. When combined with scalp skin grafting, this protocol provides a simple, effective, and cosmetically favorable solution.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Europe PMC: https://europepmc.org/article/MED/41603885