Experimental study of the use of auricular cartilage with and without Gelfoam® on the nasal dorsum of rabbits.
BACKGROUND
There are several materials for reconstruction of nasal dorsum deformities, which are divided into four categories: autologous, homologous, heterologous, and alloplastic grafts.


OBJECTIVE
To compare experimental conditions through inflammatory time reactions in ear cartilage grafts with and without Gelfoam® when grafted on the nasal dorsum of rabbits.


METHODS
This study included 30 rabbits, divided into two groups of 15 rabbits each (Gelfoam® and cartilage group and cartilage group), and then divided into three sub-groups of 7, 30, and 60 days of follow-up, where the 1.5 cm long and 0.5 wide grafts were placed in the stock grafting on the nasal dorsum of rabbits, half with and half without Gelfoam®. After the specified period, the rabbits in each group were euthanized, and the grafts were then submitted to a histological study.


RESULTS
The experimental group revealed more neovascularization and granulation tissue formation; in terms of the presence of acute and chronic inflammatory process, the results were virtually identical in rabbits from both the control and experimental models in all three groups.


CONCLUSIONS
There was no statistical difference to justify the use of Gelfoam® surrounding cartilage graft for nasal dorsum reconstruction.
Universidade de Graz, Áustria.
Breno Simões Ribeiro da
BS
Silva
Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
José Eduardo Lutaif
JE
Dolci
D000818:Animals; D004425:Ear Cartilage / Q000637:transplantation*; D005781:Gelatin Sponge, Absorbable / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009300:Nasal Septum / Q000601:surgery*; D011817:Rabbits; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous