Access to frontal sinus using the osteoplastic flap technique is indicated in lesions that do not yield endonasal approach. This technique can be practiced with dogs, although delineation of sinusal perimeter in canines is not as easy as it is in humans. AIM: This study aims at presenting a method to access and delineate the frontal sinus of canines to reproduce the osteoplastic flap technique in man. STUDY DESIGN: Surgical technique in animal. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In adult dogs, two straight lines were drawn: one along the median line of the frontal region; and the other at 45º from the pupil. At the intersection point, 1-1.5 cm forward and 1 cm backward was measured; from these points, an incomplete rectangle delineating the frontal sinusal perimeters was drawn. RESULTS: This procedure was performed 12 times during one year with participation of medical residents. Opening the animals' frontal sinuses was an easy procedure, and the osteoplastic technique to locate the sinus was performed without failures. CONCLUSION: The method of locating and delineating the frontal sinus of dogs was useful to show that the osteoplastic technique is realistically reproducible in men.
osteoplastic flap; frontal sinus; technique
