The Anatomical Study of the Nasal Septal Cartilage with its Clinical Implications

Several rhinoplasty and nasal reconstruction procedures require cartilage. Various studies have reported on the nasal septal cartilage as a donor site for Caucasian and Asian populations. However, studies regarding the Thai nasal septal cartilage dimensions are rare. This study aimed to examine the length, height, area, and thickness of the nasal septal cartilage, along with implications of the size and quantity of the available cartilage, for grafting in Thai cadavers.

We analyzed the nasal septal cartilage in 42 Thai cadavers. The length, height, area, and thickness were digitally measured using ImageJ 1.52 software, along with the size and area of the available cartilage for grafting after preserving a 10-mm L-strut. Data were compared between sexes.

The mean height, length, and area of the nasal septal cartilage were 30.96 ± 5.90 mm, 26.13 ± 6.90 mm, and 636.10 ± 196.13 mm², respectively. The length did not differ significantly between sexes. However, the height and area in male cadavers were greater than those in female cadavers. The mean thickness ranged from 0.77 to 1.02 mm depending on the area, with the thickest and thinnest areas being the superoposterior and inferoposterior parts, respectively. The mean height, length, and area of the harvestable cartilage were 20.96 mm, 16.13 mm, and 384.84 mm², respectively, after excluding the L-strut.

Our results provide major anatomical data of the Thai nasal septal cartilage. Its implication for use of the septal cartilage for grafting is 21 mm in height and 16 mm in length, which is sufficiently safe to maintain nasal support.

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