Use of autologous costal cartilage in Asian rhinoplasty

Park JH, Jin HR.

PubMed 23190817 Publisher (DOI)

What this paper says

In 83 Asian patients given rib cartilage grafts and followed a mean 29.5 months, graft-related complications occurred in 12% (5 warped grafts, 5 infections, all controlled with antibiotics), with no exposure, no collapsed lung and a 2.4 cm average chest scar.

Overview

Asian rhinoplasty often needs more cartilage than the septum can supply, and rib cartilage is the main alternative. The authors review the senior author's experience and how his techniques evolved, recording graft types, complications at the nose and chest, outcomes and satisfaction.

Sections of note

Retrospective review of 83 rhinoseptoplasties with autologous costal cartilage; 39 were revision cases.
Mean follow-up 29.5 months.
Graft use: dorsum in 83, tip in 66, septum in 58, ala in 23.
Graft-related complication rate 12%: 5 warped grafts, 5 infections; infections controlled with intravenous antibiotics, 2 with mild resorption afterward.
No graft exposure, mobility or significant resorption.
Revision for aesthetic dissatisfaction in 2, with 1 more planned.
Chest incision averaged 2.4 cm; no pneumothorax or significant donor pain; 2 hypertrophic chest scars.
Level of evidence: therapeutic, IV.

What it means for a patient

Rib cartilage gave enough material for the bridge, tip and septum in one operation, with most patients satisfied.
About 1 in 17 grafts warped and 1 in 17 became infected; infections were treated without removing the graft.
Single surgeon, satisfaction not measured with a validated tool, and nearly half were revision cases with higher baseline risk.

Why this paper matters

It gives a mid-term complication profile for rib cartilage in Asian noses from an experienced surgeon and identifies warping on the dorsum and infection in revisions as the two risks to watch. Outcomes are surgeon-assessed.

Terms

Autologous costal cartilage: cartilage taken from the patient's own rib.
Rhinoseptoplasty: rhinoplasty combined with septal surgery.
Warping: a cartilage graft bending after it is placed.
Dorsal onlay graft: a graft laid along the bridge to raise it.
Pneumothorax: air leaking into the chest cavity from a rib harvest, collapsing part of the lung.
Hypertrophic scar: a thick, raised scar that stays within the wound borders.

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

From the abstract

“The authors present the senior author's experience and evolution of techniques with the use of autologous costal cartilage grafts in Asian rhinoplasty. Methods: Eighty-three patients who had rhinoseptoplasty with autologous costal cartilage grafts were included in this retrospective review. The types of grafts,…”

Excerpt; the full abstract is on PubMed.