Certain embodiments of the present invention include a cranial fixation device for fixing a bone flap to the skull following a craniotomy. The device may accommodate variations in intracranial pressure without allowing the bone flap to move inward beyond the skull surface. Other embodiments include a method for cranial fixation. The method may include joining the bone flap to one portion of the fixation device and joining the skull to another portion of the fixation device. The method may also include responding to changes in intracranial pressure. The method may also include upward and downward movement of the fixation device and constraining the movement of the bone flap.
