Pediatrics > Cranial Remolding Orthosis
Cranial Remolding Orthosis
What is a Cranial Remolding Orthosis?
A cranial remolding orthosis or helmet, is a device used to treat head shape deformities such as plagiocephaly, brachycephaly and scaphocephaly. The helmet treatment is effective in infants from 3-18 months of age. The earlier treatment is initiated, the better the outcome due to the decrease in growth rate as the child ages. The first cranial remolding orthosis was developed by Dr. Clarren in 1979. At Union Orthotics and Prosthetics, we provide the STAR family of cranial remolding helmets. Thousands of infants have been treated with the STARband, which is the first cranial remolding device with FDA clearance and availability to pracitioners across the world. The STARfamily of cranial remolding orthoses are manufactured by Orthomerica.
The improvements in head shape are achieved by providing contact in the bossed areas and reliefs in the flattened areas. As the skull continue to grow, the reliefs are filled out and the skull rounds out. The amount of improvement is directly related to the amount of growth during their time in the helmet. The younger the infant, the faster the rate of skull growth. The ideal age for initiation of helmet treatment is 4-7 months.