Semi-Dried PRP-Stabilized Diced Cartilage: A Novel Technique for Stable and Moldable Dorsal Nasal Augmentation in Rhinoplasty

Yenigun A, Kucuk RB, Balikci H, Dogan R, Ozturan O.

PubMed 42547599 Publisher (DOI)Free full text (PMC)

What this paper says

In three patients, diced septal cartilage mixed with the patient's own platelet-rich plasma and semi-dried with warm air formed a mouldable graft that held its shape on the bridge for 6 months without wrapping or glue.

Overview

Diced cartilage is widely used to build up the bridge but is loose and can migrate or leave irregularities. The authors describe a feasibility technique: septal cartilage diced to 0.5-1 mm, mixed with liquid PRP prepared on a Silfradent MEDIFUGE system, spread on a sterile surface, and exposed to warm airflow for 3-5 minutes at or below 45 degrees C until semi-solid. The graft was placed into the dorsal and radix pocket with no fascia, sutures or fibrin glue.

Sections of note

Applied in two primary and one revision rhinoplasty.
Clinical and photographic evaluation at 1 and 6 months.
No clinically evident migration, infection, contour irregularity or skin thinning in the follow-up period.
Contour was maintained in both thin- and very thick-skinned patients.
The authors state that long-term stability, volume retention and biological effects "remain unproven." Level of Evidence IV.

What it means for a patient

This is an early technical report on three people; it shows the graft can be handled and placed, not that it lasts.
The technique avoids foreign materials and the extra step of harvesting fascia.
Anyone offered it should understand it is experimental with 6-month data only.

Why this paper matters

It is a first description of PRP-bound, air-dried diced cartilage as a self-cohesive dorsal graft. Limits: three patients, 6 months, photographic assessment only, no controls.

Terms

Diced cartilage: cartilage chopped into fine pieces to make a mouldable filler.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP): a concentrate of the patient's own platelets and growth factors.
Radix: the root of the nose between the eyes.
Fibrin adhesive: a biological glue sometimes used to bind diced cartilage.
Diced cartilage in fascia: the standard alternative, in which chopped cartilage is wrapped in a fascia sheath.

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

Abstract

Background: Diced cartilage is widely used for dorsal nasal augmentation, but its fluid consistency may predispose to migration, contour irregularity, and handling difficulties. We describe a preliminary technical feasibility experience using autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) combined with diced cartilage and semi-dried with controlled warm airflow to create a cohesive, moldable graft for dorsal and radix augmentation.

Technique: Septal cartilage was diced into 0.5-1-mm fragments and mixed dropwise with liquid PRP prepared using the Silfradent MEDIFUGE CGF system. The mixture was spread on a sterile surface and exposed to controlled warm airflow for 3-5 minutes, with the graft surface temperature maintained at or below 45 °C, until a semi-solid consistency was achieved. The resulting graft was inserted into the dorsal and radix pocket without fascia wrapping, sutures, or fibrin adhesives.

Results: The technique was applied in two primary rhinoplasty cases and one revision rhinoplasty case. All three patients were evaluated clinically and photographically at 1 month and 6 months postoperatively. During the observed short- to mid-term follow-up, the graft demonstrated satisfactory intraoperative handling and clinically maintained dorsal contour, with no clinically evident migration, infection, contour irregularity, or overlying skin thinning. This clinical maintenance of dorsal contour was observed in both primary and revision cases, including patients with thin and very thick skin. These findings are based on clinical examination and standardized photographic assessment only.

Conclusions: Semi-dried PRP-stabilized diced cartilage may represent a simple, low-cost, and foreign-material-free option for dorsal augmentation in selected patients. In this preliminary technical feasibility series, the technique provided cohesive intraoperative handling and clinically satisfactory short- to mid-term contour maintenance without wrapping or adhesive fixation. Long-term stability, volume preservation, and biological effects remain unproven and require objective validation.

Level Of Evidence Iv: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Abstract as indexed by PubMed; the article is open access (PubMed Central).