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Wilhelm Wagner’s (1848–1900) Temporary Cranial Resection and Its Initial Improvements

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Trepanation, Trephining and Craniotomy

Abstract

We describe the birth of the modern craniotomy, invented by Wilhelm Wagner in 1889. This surgeon proposed a temporary opening of the skull, levering a single piece of bone cut using chisel and hammer. The bone flap remained attached to the soft pericranial tissues to maintain its vitality after the replacement of the bone at the end of the intracranial procedure. We describe the antecedents and early developments of this primitive and crude temporary osteoplastic craniotomy.

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References

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González-Darder, J.M. (2019). Wilhelm Wagner’s (1848–1900) Temporary Cranial Resection and Its Initial Improvements. In: Trepanation, Trephining and Craniotomy . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22212-3_25

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22212-3_25

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-22211-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-22212-3

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