Biological Changes of Autologous Auricular Cartilage in Rhinoplasty

Autologous auricular cartilage is used extensively as a good graft material in rhinoplasty. In this study, clinical specimens from patients who underwent revision rhinoplasty with auricular cartilage grafts were collected to compare the changes before and after auricular cartilage transplantation with the use of histologic, immunohistochemical, and quantitative assays. Patients who underwent revision rhinoplasty from 2018 to 2022 were analyzed. Fresh auricular cartilage left after surgery and auricular cartilage graft tissue were examined and compared. Compared with fresh auricular cartilage, local fibrosis was seen in the transplanted auricular cartilage with a slight decrease in elastic fibers, type II collagen, and extracellular matrix secretion. Quantitative assays showed a decrease in glycosaminoglycan, DNA, and total collagen content in the transplanted auricular cartilage tissue. The results of the study suggest that the histologic characteristics, cell functionality, and biochemical composition of the grafted cartilage changed to a certain extent after autologous auricular cartilage graft rhinoplasty. These results provide insights into the selection of graft/filler materials for rhinoplasty and what changes to expect.