Auricular cartilage versus costal cartilage as a grafting material in experimental laryngotracheal reconstruction.

Auricular cartilage has been used clinically as an alternative material to costal cartilage for implantation during laryngotracheal reconstructive surgery. Little information is available concerning the healing characteristics or the durability of these two types of graft. The authors of this study examined the rate of epithelialization and the survival of cartilage in a rabbit model of anterior tracheal wall reconstruction and directly compared auricular and costal cartilage grafts. Auricular cartilage was found to epithelialize faster than costal cartilage. Both types of graft survived well after implantation. The superior healing characteristics of auricular cartilage make it a desirable material for laryngotracheal reconstruction.