Histological assessment of microtia cartilage, a potential source of autograft tissue in ear reconstruction

In this study, we evaluate the histological characteristics of microtia cartilage compared with normal auricular and costal cartilage obtained from human patients undergoing surgical resection. Histochemistry was used to evaluate cellularity, lipid content, and ECM content. Using a Bayesian statistical approach, we determined that while costal cartilage is the standard tissue donor, the microanatomy of microtia cartilage more closely reflects normal auricular cartilage than costal cartilage. Therefore, microtia cartilage may serve as an additional reservoir for cartilage during reconstruction.PMID:38574100 | DOI:10.1111/joa.14044
Source: Journal of Anatomy - Category: Anatomy Authors: Source Type: research