Cranium autograft failure

Imflamation, nonincorporation. Failure of function of autoclaved cranium autografts (skull flaps). After removal of skull flap during cranial surgery the skull flap was cleaned and sterilized by autoclaving. Eventually it was retrieved from the freezer and used to repair the cranial defect. Postoperatively it became inflamed and did not incorporate. An infection was suspected and antibiotics given but many months later it remained inflamed and did not incorporate. Eventually, it was decided that the problem was not infection but a problem of allograft failure due to non-viable and mechanically and biologically impaired due to autoclaving.