VASCULARIZED AURICULAR PERICHONDRIUM IN AIRWAY RECONSTRUCTION - THE EFFECTS OF STENTING WITH AND WITHOUT A MUCOSAL GRAFT

This study quantitatively examines the effects of laryngotracheal sten ting with and without mucosal grafting on chondrogenesis in a rabbit m odel. Vascularized auricular perichondrium was transferred to a cricot hyroid membrane (CTM) defect in three groups of New Zealand white rabb its: group A, CTM defect alone; group B, CTM defect with endotracheal tube stent; and group C, CTM defect with a buccal mucosa graft (BMG) i nterposed between the stent and perichondrium. The rabbits were sacrif iced at 7 weeks for histologic examination and determination of cartil age thickness by digitometry. Chondrogenesis was not significantly aff ected by stenting (n = 11; 0.719 mm +/- 0.203 mm) or by BMC: (n = 12; 0.775 mm +/- 0.203 mm) as compared with controls (n = 14; 0.695 mm +/- 0.216 mm) (P value = not significant). Laryngotracheal stenting and B MG do not adversely influence chondrogenesis in airway reconstruction with vascularized perichondrium in the rabbit model. The application o f these principles in human airway reconstruction is discussed.