Treatment of the fractured larynx. Use of a new grafting technique

Laryngeal fractures are best handled early by the meticulous apposition of mucous membrane and reconstitution of the laryngeal skeleton. Postoperative dilatations may deal successfully with any stenosis that occurs. However, the loss of critical supporting structures such as the cricoid ring or large amounts of mucosa may result in stenosis that requires the addition of structural elements from elsewhere in the body. This is a five-year follow-up on such a patient in whom ultimate reconstruction was accomplished by the use of mucous membrane from the maxillary sinus as a lining for the reconstructed larynx while costal cartilage provided additional supportive structural material for the compromised cricoid and thyroid cartilages.