Autogenous auricular concha cartilage transplant in corrective rhinoplasty. Practical hints and critical remarks

Abstract

Numerous materials have been suggested for correction of nasal defects, especially for the saddle nose. We present here our experience with the autogenous cartilage transplant from the auricular concha in our collective of 32 patients. The concha cartilage is used for saddle nose corrections and reconstruction of the alar cartilages. Auricular concha cartilage is an almost ideal transplant material for corrective rhinoplasty because: 1. Harvesting of the material is a low-risk procedure that is not time-consuming and can be performed under local anaesthesia. 2. Concha cartilage is stable enough for support and elastic enough for contouring. 3. It can easily be shaped as desired. 4. Concha cartilage shows little tendency towards dislocation. 5. Resorption is negligible and thus plays no role in connection with these transplants. 6. Rejection or infection rarely occurs.