Costochondral grafting in condylar replacement and mandibular reconstruction.

Thirty costochondral grafts in 22 patients were retrospectively studied with a mean follow-up of five (range, 2 to 11) years. The functional results, esthetics, and incidence of complications in these patients were determined. A discussion of these findings as well as the surgical technique is included. The results confirm previous studies and indicate that free costochondral grafting is a successful and physiologically sound method for reconstruction of portions of the mandible and its temporal articulation.