Versatile applications of the polydioxanone plate in rhinoplasty and septal surgery

Rimmer J, Ferguson LM, Saleh HA.

What this paper says

In 102 patients over 40 months, a dissolvable polydioxanone plate was used to splint reshaped septal cartilage, support other rhinoplasty grafts and repair septal holes, with 96 reporting a good result, 2 infections and temporary septal swelling in up to 15%.

Overview

Cartilage taken from the septum is sometimes too thin or bent to reinsert on its own. A polydioxanone (PDS) plate is an absorbable sheet that can be stitched to cartilage as a temporary scaffold while it heals. The authors review their use of the plate as a template in extracorporeal septoplasty and in a range of other grafts and repairs.

Sections of note

Retrospective case note review, November 1, 2007 to February 28, 2011; 102 patients.
Uses: template in extracorporeal septoplasty, support for other common rhinoplasty grafts, and repair of septal perforations.
Follow-up 9 to 18 months, mean 12 months.
96 patients reported a good cosmetic or functional result.
Temporary septal swelling in up to 15%.
2 postoperative infections; no other significant complications.
The authors state the plate acts as a scaffold and also stimulates and guides cartilage regeneration.

What it means for a patient

A crooked septum can be taken out, straightened on a dissolvable plate and put back, even when the cartilage is weak.
The plate disappears over months, so no permanent foreign material stays in the nose.
Results are patient-reported from one unit without a comparison group; the abstract does not separate outcomes by application.

Why this paper matters

The PDS plate made extracorporeal septoplasty feasible for thin or fragmented cartilage and became widely used in Europe. This series extends its indications. Whether it improves long-term straightness versus cartilage alone is not tested.

Terms

Polydioxanone (PDS) plate: a thin absorbable synthetic sheet that dissolves over about six months.
Extracorporeal septoplasty: removing the septum, straightening it outside the body, and reinserting it.
Septal perforation: a hole through the septum.
Scaffold: a temporary support that holds tissue in shape while it heals.
Cartilage graft: a piece of the patient's own cartilage shaped and placed to support or contour the nose.
Absorbable implant: a material the body breaks down and removes over time.

Summary written by rhinoplasty.cc from the abstract, 2026-09-08; not medical advice. The authors' own abstract follows.

From the abstract

“Rhinoplasty and septal surgery often require the use of cartilage grafts. Autologous cartilage may be thin or deviated, and the use of an absorbable scaffold material to support the reimplanted cartilage during healing can improve technique and outcomes. Objective: To describe the use of a polydioxanone plate not only…”

Excerpt; the full abstract is on PubMed.