Use of butyl-2-cyanoacrylate in rabbit auricular cartilage

Since the nonsuture repair of blood vessels with methyl-2-cyanoacrylate was described in 1960, the advantages of a tissue adhesive over conventional sutures became evident. A survey of 115 otolaryngology programs showed that cyanoacrylates, mainly butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (B2C), are used more extensively than indicated in the literature. Cartilage grafts are commonly used in facial plastic procedures. In a study comparing B2C with conventional suture techniques in securing rabbit auricular cartilage autografts, sutures were used in the left control ear and B2C was used in the right experimental ear. Rabbits sacrificed at two weeks to 12 months showed graft viability in all samples and no statistically significant histologic difference between the grafts secured by either method.