Can Muscle Along With Bone Be Removed In Skull Reductions?

Q: Dr. Eppley, When considering skull reduction surgery, is the removing include  outer cortex of skull, the periosteum and the thin muscle above or just the bony part of the skull ? And if only the bony part , is its possible to remove the muscles fiber that are covering the whole skull in seeking to get more reduction?

A: in skull reduction the entire soft tissues of the scalp are lifted off the bone and it is the bone that is reduced. There are no muscle fibers that attached directly to the bone except at the its ends. (brow bones and nuchal ridge of the occipital bone) The periosteum and all the soft tissues above it are left untouched as all that would do by doing any excision would create a soft tissue contour deformity.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon