ABSTRACT
Devitalized homologous costal cartilage is widely employed as an implant in the management of the saddle nose. The tissue response induced by the implant is a combination of enveloping fibrosis and implant resorption, which will probably, ultimately, be complete. We have studied the balance between resorption and fibrosis, following different modes of cartilage preparation, in the mouse. Homologous costal cartilage was devitalized by four common methods--irradiation, formalin, glutaraldehyde and alcohol. Segments of this cartilage were inserted at separate sites in the subcutaneous plain of the tail. These implants were harvested after one year for histology. Variations in the mode of cartilage devitalization, while inducing variations in the degree of the tissue response, did not influence the balance between fibrosis and resorption. Thus the long term maintenance of tissue bulk following homologous cartilage implantation is not influenced by the mode of preparation. Evidence suggests that the ultimate cosmetic results of autologous and homologous costal cartilage implantation would be much the same, and the use of homologous cartilage must be justified on other grounds.
Subject(s)
Cartilage/transplantation , Graft Survival , Animals , Cartilage/pathology , Fibrosis , Mice , Transplantation, HomologousABSTRACT
Nasal implants of autologous costal cartilage have an undesirable tendency to distortion. This tendency may be reduced by the process of devitalization, which occurs in the preparation of homologous costal cartilage for storage in a tissue bank. An in vitro study has been undertaken, utilizing five common methods of cartilage preparation (cialit, ethyl alcohol, formalin, glutaraldehyde and irradiation) to determine whether there is any significant variation in the degree of distortion which occurred and any variation in cartilage consistency. We conclude that all of the methods evaluated would produce banked homologous costal cartilage with an equally low incidence of distortion but implants are less readily carved from cartilage stored in cialit.
Subject(s)
Cartilage , Tissue Preservation/methods , Cartilage/radiation effects , Cartilage/transplantation , Cialit , Ethanol , Formaldehyde , Glutaral , Humans , RibsSubject(s)
Ear, Inner/ultrastructure , Endolymphatic Sac/ultrastructure , Animals , Capillary Permeability , Electrocoagulation , Endolymphatic Sac/metabolism , Endolymphatic Sac/physiology , Epithelium/ultrastructure , Labyrinthitis/pathology , Microscopy, Electron , Microvilli/ultrastructure , Rabbits , Vacuoles/ultrastructureABSTRACT
In this study we have endeavoured to isolate viruses from the middle ear mucosa, pharynx and nasopharynx of fifty cases of secretory otitis media. No viruses were isolated from the middle ear, but four patients were found to be harbouring a virus in the pharynx or post-nasal space. Each of these virus types could be expected in random survey of children of this age group. A previous attempt was made in 1969 to isolate viruses from the middle ear in this condition, but with negative results. This present study has employed more up-to-date techniques but without success. Despite these continued negative results we still feel that viruses may be of significance in the aetiology of secretory otitis media.
