The effectiveness of scoring and bipolar diathermy on ear cartilage behavior: ex vivo study

A common unsatisfactory long-term outcome of otoplasty is undercorrection and residual deformity. Aggressive scoring with a scalpel blade can cause unattractive and painful ridging, especially in older patients with stiffer cartilage. We developed an ex vivo pig ear model to compare the effectiveness of bipolar diathermy with blade scoring for cartilage warping. Strips of cartilage harvested from Landrace pig ears were subjected to bipolar diathermy (group A), blade scoring (group B), and blade scoring combined with reverse-side bipolar diathermy (group C). The strip deflection and cartilage tension were measured for each group. No statistical difference (P