Repair Of Partial Auricular Defects With Autogenous Costal Cartilage

Objective:To investigate a new usage and effect of the surgical treatment of large auricular defects with autogenous costal cartilage.Methods:19 patients with partial auricular defect were selected and treated in this group.For auricular defects involving auricular cartilage,in the first stage,according to the method of Nagata,the auricular defect was repaired with partial costal cartilage implanted under the skin of the retroauricular mastoid area.In the second stage,the retroauricular fascia flap was lifted together with the reconstructed auricle then skin graft on the exposed surface of the fascia was used to complete the reconstruction of cranioauricular sulcus.For the congenital earlobe defect which is mainly soft-tissue defect,the earlobe is repaired by autogenous costal cartilage in one stage.Results:The patients were followed up for 2-48 months with satisfactory results.The reconstructed helix,antihelix,scapha,and auricular concha had a similar color and desirable details as the contralateral ear.Conclusion:Repair of large partial auricular defects with autogenous costal cartilage is an effective way with satisfying clinical outcomes.