Background
Dorsal augmentation with costal cartilage is generally used for aesthetic rhinoplasty. However, the warping tendency of costal cartilage may jeopardize the aesthetic results of rhinoplasty.
Objectives
Describing a new “Z” technique to overcome the warping of costal cartilage after implantation and evaluating its efficacy in vitro.
Methods
A total of 31 pairs of porcine costal cartilage grafts (40 × 10 × 5 mm) were obtained and kept in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle Medium to maintain cell viability. Paired grafts were obtained and randomly allocated for preparation by the accordion technique and the Z technique. Standardized photographs (obtained immediately after operation and at 4 weeks) were used for warping analysis. Biomechanical test was performed to measure the graft’s capacity to resist deformation by an external force.
Results
Cell viability of the grafts at 4 weeks was comparably good in the Accordion group and the Z group (61.88% ± 4.47% vs. 67.48% ± 7.03%, P = 0.55). Warping angle was comparable between the two groups (P > 0.01). The capacity to resist external force was significantly better in the Z group; the force needed to cause deformation was 3.98 ± 1.04 N in the Z group vs. 1.61 ± 0.47 N in the Accordion group in the lateral views (P < 0.0001), and 1.33 ± 0.41 N vs. 0.96 ± 0.24 N, respectively, in the frontal views (P = 0.0013).
Conclusions
The “Z” technique appears to be a simple and effective method to minimize warping tendency of costal cartilage after implantation.