Crushed cartilage in nasal reconstruction.

Experience when using crushed cartilage for restoration of the dorsal nasal contour is presented. The septal cartilage is used as fresh autogenous grafts and as preserved septal cartilage. Implantation of autogenous grafts is preferable. Bank cartilage, however, has the advantage of being easily available and of causing very little reaction in the host organism. Normally, it is absorbed very slowly and replaced by connective tissue, which retains most of the bulk and shape of the implant. The crushed material is pushed in over the undermined nasal dorsum by means of a syringe connected to a plastic tube. When the piston of the loaded syringe is depressed, the cartilage is injected and the crushed cartilage can be moulded under the skin and the shape maintained by a tight dressing. The cartilage serves as a padding, which covers bony defects, smooths out the irregularities of the bone and avoids the open roof syndrome as well as retracted scar formation between skin and bone.