How We Do It: Buried Cartilage Grafts to Assist in Autologous Skin Grafting

Abstract

CNC is associated with cardiac disease. Early recognition of melanotic schwannomas is important because these lesions are associated with CNC and 10% of melanotic schwannomas is malignant. Owing to the malignant potential of this type of schwannoma, patients with these tumors should have close and long-term follow-up after diagnosis.

How We Do It: Buried Cartilage Grafts to Prevent Contraction and Preserve Normal Anatomical Shape in Reconstruction of Surgical Defects of the Anterior Pinna

“…The larger the graft, the greater the risk. We have previously described the use of a muscular hinge flap to provide a vascularized wound bed and mitigate the risk of graft failure; however, this is not possible on the anterior surface of the pinna as it is on the ala. 2,3 Typically, autologous cartilage grafts are placed behind the ear buried beneath the soft tissues of the scalp to allow for resurfacing of the anterior surface before release at a second surgery. Such techniques were developed by Tanzer and others and refined by Brent and Nagata.…”