X-shaped Tip Graft: A Versatile Solution for Warping Correction in Rib Cartilage-Based Rhinoplasty

An enduringly stable tip graft is the key to achieving successful rhinoplasty. However, the intrinsic tendency of rib grafts to warp renders the long-term outcome of cartilage-based rhinoplasty highly unpredictable.

The aim of this study was to detail and validate the utilization of a tip graft that is characterized by a circumferential split on the tip graft, which creates a shape similar to the letter X.

The counterrotating force applied intraoperatively and the complications that arose were examined retrospectively. Three-dimensional stereophotogrammetric evaluations of patients was performed. Anthropometric points were analyzed in a blinded fashion. Outcome variables were tip projection, nasal length, tip rotation, and the nasion-pronasale angulation.

Forty-five female patients, ranging in age from 18 to 41 years (average, 28.5 years) completed the study. In all cases, the X graft was applied as an essential element for enhancing tip projection. Postoperative analysis showed excellent maintenance of tip position over time, evidenced by insignificant changes in nasion-pronasale angulation. Other postoperative evaluations, including tip projection, nasal length, and nasolabial angle, showed significant improvement. The differences were not statistically different between short- and long-term follow-up.

The X graft effectively mitigates the negative impact of graft warping. It is the ultimate form for tip support and for elongating short noses. It has the merits of versatility and flexibility when used to create a strong and sustainable tip support in East Asian rhinoplasty.