# How much of a (living) human's skull can be replaced?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-living-humans-skull-can-be-replaced/204872>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 1, 2003, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-living-humans-skull-can-be-replaced/204872 "2003-10-01T06:44:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-living-humans-skull-can-be-replaced/204872/1 "2003-10-01T06:44:22Z")

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…with current medical technology? What’s the maximum that’s been done to a single patient, so far?

And without killing the patient, of course.

And no, I’m not asking because of a pressing personal need, if that’s your concern. 😉

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**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-living-humans-skull-can-be-replaced/204872/2 "2003-10-01T09:47:00Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Ranchoth \*  
> \*\*And no, I’m not asking because of a pressing personal need, if that’s your concern. 😉 \*\*

Heh.

I can see it now. Ranchoth falls of roof and breaks head apart. Friend helps Ranchoth into the house and says “man, your head is BUSTED UP. I don’t think the doctors can replace that much of your skull”

Ranchoth thinks… then says “Call the medics and I’ll hit the SDMB while we wait.”

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**Author:** ![Rick\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a88e4f/32.png) [@Rick\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Smith)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-living-humans-skull-can-be-replaced/204872/3 "2003-10-01T10:23:19Z")

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My brother is going into Hopkins for  
removal of a glomus tumor.  
They have to remove the mastoid bone  
to gain access to the tumor, but they say  
they can’t replace it.  
If the bone itself isn’t diseased, I wonder  
why they can’t remove it and screw/glue  
it back in afterward?  
Or replace it with an artificial bone implant?  
Any reconstructive surgeons out there?  
I read an excerpt from a French journal that  
talked about partial reconstruction of the  
mastoid. Is it physically impossible to re-  
attach the mastoid?