CORRECTION OF SADDLE NOSE DEFORMITIES BY CORAL IMPLANTATION

The coral or Madrepororia is a sea invertebrate with a skeleton morpho logically and chemically very similar to mineral bone. In 1990 we impl anted coral blocks, sterilized by gamma irradiation, into the nasal do rsa of ten dogs. Resorption and substitution with bone or fibrous tiss ue were observed within 6 months. Between 1991 and 1994 biocoral was u sed in 20 patients with saddle nose deformities in order to augment th e nasal pyramid and dome. Two extrusions were observed in the early po stoperative period during follow-up. One of these extrusions was relat ed to trauma and necessitated removal of the implant. Our findings sho w that coral is a suitable alloplastic material that can be used in th e correction of saddle nose deformities.