Essential Grafting in the Traumatized Nose

Corrective rhinoplasty after significant nasal trauma is a much different entity than elective rhinoplasty or rhinoplasty after minor trauma. The more significant the degree of trauma the patient is subjected to, the greater the deleterious effects will be on the soft tissue and skeletal elements of the patient's nose. With this disruption of the anatomic integrity and dynamics of the nose, the patient experiences deformity and dysfunction of the nose. This may be minor and transient or may be lifelong and disabling. In this article, the authors review some of the more long-term aspects of nasal trauma and provide the reader with insights to the use of cartilage grafting techniques that are useful in the management of posttraumatic nasal deformity and airway obstruction.