Control of grafted rib cartilage warping

Abstract

The main problem associated with grafting rib cartilage to the nasal dorsum is postoperative warping. This study evaluated the use of a metal rod to prevent the rib cartilage from warping. The 8th rib cartilages, taken bilaterally from eight young fresh human cadavers, were carved into blocks 6×6×35 mm. Blocks obtained from the right side of the cadavers were pierced with a Kirschner's wire (Ø0.7 mm) along their long axis. After scoring one side of all the blocks at 1 mm intervals to a depth of 2 mm, they were immersed in saline solution. 48 h after scoring, the curvature of the blocks with a rod was significantly less than the curvature of the blocks without a rod (mean=4°, 42° respectively, p<0.001). The results suggest that a metal rod, used as a strut for rib cartilage graft, prevents postoperative warping and may obviate the need for a second operation.