Development of an Algorithm to Determine Which Costal Cartilage to Harvest

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Anatomy
• Radiology

Background:

• Rib cartilage is a common graft source in rhinoplasty.
• The anatomical basis for selecting donor sites, particularly costal cartilage properties, requires further scientific investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the radioanatomy of rib cartilage.
• To identify potential estimators for rib cartilage quantity based on external anatomical measurements.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 148 thoracic CT scans.
• Measurement of rib cartilage dimensions (TotL, StDia, CosDia, MaxDia, h).
• Recording of thoracic measurements (St, ClavL, AntAx, ThC, BrC) and correlation analysis.

Main Results:

• Significant correlations between thoracic measurements and rib cartilage dimensions were found in patients aged 35 and younger.
• Sternum length (St) in females and clavicle length (ClavL) in males were identified as key estimators in younger individuals.
• These correlations were not significant in older patient groups, suggesting age-related changes in thoracic anatomy.

Conclusions:

• Thoracic shape and its relation to cartilage volume change after age 35.
• External measurements like sternum length and clavicle length can serve as reliable estimators of available rib cartilage in younger rhinoplasty candidates.
• This study provides a scientific basis for donor site selection in rhinoplasty using non-invasive measurements.