Ta. Hagerty et al., ENDOSCOPIC OTOPLASTY IN THE RABBIT MODEL - EFFECT OF MECHANICAL ABRASION ON EAR CARTILAGE DEFORMATION, Plastic and reconstructive surgery, 101(2), 1998, pp. 487-493
The purpose of this study was (1) to introduce an endoscopic technique
for performing otoplasty; (2) to compare the durability of folding wi
th scoring, sutures, or abrasion; and (3) to study the histologic chan
ges associated with three techniques. Thirteen adult New Zealand White
rabbits (26 ears) were divided into three otoplasty groups: bent cart
ilage (nine ears), cut cartilage (nine ears), or endoscopic abrasion o
f cartilage (eight ears). In all three groups, the ears were folded us
ing external mattress sutures, with a transverse 180-degree fold. Sutu
res were removed at 1 to 6 weeks, and the ears followed for 4 weeks po
stoperatively. Ear-folding angles were followed weekly from suture rem
oval to 4 weeks postoperatively. After sacrifice, the ear cartilage wa
s harvested for histologic analysis. The ears were maintained in a 180
-degree ventral fold by splinting sutures, which were removed at vario
us times. Four weeks after suture removal, the mean ear angles were 13
degrees in the bent (control) group, 84 degrees in the cut group, and
132 degrees in the abraded group. The differences between the abraded
and cut versus bent groups were significant (p = 0.0001 and 0.0073, r
espectively). There was no significant difference between the abraded
versus cut groups. Histologic analysis showed perichondrial thickening
on the convex surface in all of the groups. Fibrocartilage was produc
ed in the cut and abraded groups. Based on histologic observation, the
repair cartilage in the cut group was more fibrous, whereas that in t
he endoscopic group was more abundant with marked degenerative changes
in the central zone. A new method of percutaneous endoscopic otoplast
y in the rabbit model is described. This study showed that endoscopic
otoplasty produced folding that was well maintained during the study p
eriod.