[Preserved human cartilage grafts and autogenous viable transplants for nose and middle ear (author's transl)]

57% of the preserved human cartilage chips being implanted in the nose lead to a remarkable up to a complete resorption. 94% of the patients have nevertheless a sufficiently or well working function of the nose; besides that they are as well satisfied with the shape of their nose. The most important reason for the resorption are mechanical factors; this has been shown by comparing the load of implanted tissue on the columella and on the dorsum of the nose. We can't exclude the possibility of late immunologic reaction. Comparing these results with those of the middle ear by missing any mechanical load, we registered nevertheless a remarkable loss of the volume of the cartilage. This is an intense indication for an immunologic reaction, especially because there is a more intense vascularisation in the middle ear and a strong activity of fibroblasts based on the mesenchymal potency of middle ear mucosa. It's only in the middle ear that preserved cartilage can be substituted by connective tissue, viable cartilage or viable bone.