Background：Ping-pong fractures are indentations of the relatively soft skull of newborns or infants and are usually treated by neurosurgeons. However, plastic surgeons may also be involved in their management to improve the resultant cranial shape. We retrospectively reviewed cases of surgically treated ping-pong fractures at our hospital.
Methods：From the hospital database, patients with ping-pong fractures were extracted from among those who underwent surgery for a depressed skull fracture between 2011 and 2017.
Results：There were ten cases of surgery for depressed skull fractures, including three cases for ping-pong fractures. The patients in all three cases were less than 6 months old and had no combined intracranial injury. Surgery was performed after observing the patients’ general condition. All fractures were successfully repositioned.
Discussion：It is unclear whether ping-pong fractures should be observed until natural healing occurs or be treated early using non-invasive methods. Surgery was required in the present cases because natural healing failed to occur during the observation period.
Conclusion：Although ping-pong fractures are a relatively rare type of head injury, plastic surgeons should be familiar with their incidence, etiology, and surgical indications. Surgical intervention should be carefully considered as a treatment option in each case.
