Cartilaginous graft in rhinoplasty

Nowadays, cartilage grafts are widely used in secondary as well as primary rhinoplasty. Even if their fixation is often easier and more precise using an open approach, most of them can also be positioned with a close approach. In this article, the authors describe various cartilage donor sites. For each of them, they describe benefits, inconveniences, harvesting techniques and preferred indications. Cartilage can be harvested on the septum, ear and ribs. For the authors, septal cartilage is often the best material but can be insufficient or totally missing (especially in secondary rhinoplasty). In such cases, concha cartilage is a good material for tip and alar grafts because of its pliability and convexity whereas rib cartilage, which is stiffer and thicker, will provide good supporting grafts. Described more recently, diced cartilage wrapped in fascia (DCF) can be a very good option for dorsal onlay graft, avoiding irregularities of conchal cartilage and risk of rib cartilage's twisting. (C) 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.