Volume Expansion of Tissue Engineered Human Nasal Septal Cartilage

Volume Expansion of Tissue Engineered Human Nasal Septal Cartilage

Importance: Cartilaginous craniofacial defects range in size and autologous cartilaginous tissue is preferred for repair of these defects. Therefore, it is important to have the ability to produce large size cartilaginous constructs for repair of cartilaginous abnormalities.

Objectives: 1. To produce autologous human septal neocartilage constructs substantially larger in size than previously produced constructs 2. To demonstrate that volume expanded neocartilage constructs possess comparable histological and biochemical properties to standard size constructs 3. To show that volume expanded neocartilage constructs retain similar biomechanical properties to standard size constructs.

Design: Prospective, basic science.

Setting: Laboratory

Participants: The study used remnant human septal specimens removed during routine surgery at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center or San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Cartilage from a total of 8 donors was collected.