Surgical Techniques Following Free Cartilage Grafting.

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Otolaryngology
• Dermatology

Background:

• Reconstruction of surgical defects using free cartilage grafts presents significant challenges.
• Facial defects, particularly those involving the nose, ear, or eyelid, often require complex reconstructive strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize surgical techniques employed in the reconstruction of facial defects with free cartilage grafts.
• To provide an overview of current practices in cartilage graft harvesting and placement for oncologic defect reconstruction.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature review was conducted across Embase, PubMed Medline, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Web of Science databases.
• Studies included free cartilage grafts from the ear or nose under local anesthesia for facial defects resulting from tumor resection.

Main Results:

• 34 studies involving 713 patients and 723 defects met the inclusion criteria.
• The ear was the most common cartilage donor site (93.1%), with the nose being the most frequent recipient site (90.3%).
• Patients undergoing these reconstructions had a mean age of 63.3 years.

Conclusions:

• Free cartilage grafts serve as a viable and effective reconstructive method for deep or cartilaginous defects.
• These grafts are particularly useful for restoring structural integrity to the nose, ear, or eyelid following tumor resection.