What Cartilage Grafts Can Do For Your Nose

Cartilage grafts are often used during rhinoplasty or nose job to strengthen the nose, rebuild its structures, and improve its functions. Cartilage nose grafts can be harvested from the septum, ears, and ribs, then reshaped and placed in different areas of the nose. This is usually necessary during open nose job surgery, revision rhinoplasty, post-traumatic nose jobs, and ethnic rhinoplasty.

Patients with a pinched nose tip, a thin nose, a crooked nose, alar notching, saddle nose deformity, Polly beak deformity, nasal asymmetry, and breathing problems will probably need cartilage grafts for their rhinoplasty.

Dr Jeremy Hunt performs different nasal reshaping and reconstruction techniques – with and without cartilage grafting. Over the years, he has fixed many nose concerns using different types of nasal cartilage grafts.

What Is Cartilage Grafting In Rhinoplasty?

A cartilage grafting nose job is a rhinoplasty that uses cartilage grafts to reshape the nose, support its structure, and improve its functions.

Cartilage is a flexible yet firm type of connective tissue that makes up a large portion of your nasal structure. It gives your nose tip, alae, nostrils, and nose bridge their support and structure. It’s the “squishy” part of your nose. You can feel your nose tip to know what cartilage feels like.

Because cartilage doesn’t have a blood supply, it has limited ability to regrow or replace itself. Therefore, grafts can be used during a nose job to replace missing or damaged cartilage.

Usually, the grafts used during nose reshaping surgery are autologous cartilage– the cartilage is removed from a donor site and then placed in the nose of the same patient. Rhinoplasty cartilage can be harvested from the earlobes, ribs, or other parts of the nose.

Cartilage is an ideal grafting material since:

It’s easy to sculpt
It’s resistant to trauma
It’s mechanically stable
It has very low infection rates

By surgically inserting a cartilage graft into the nose, Dr Hunt can build up your nasal soft tissue and refine the architecture of your nose during your rhinoplasty.

What Are the Sources Of Nose Grafts?

Cartilage grafts can be harvested from different sites of the patient’s own body, including the septum, ears, and ribs, and used for nasal reconstruction.

1. Nasal Septum

Most plastic surgeons prefer using cartilage harvested from the nasal septum during a cartilage graft rhinoplasty. Septal cartilage is an excellent nose graft source because:

It’s very similar to the rest of the cartilage in your nose
It can be easily collected using the same incision done for the nose job
It can be easily reshaped to rebuild various nasal structures

However, patients have only a limited amount of cartilage that can be harvested from their septum. Therefore, the nose may not have enough cartilage in the septum available for grafting especially during a second nose job.

In such cases, Dr Hunt might use cartilage collected from your ear or ribs.

2. Ears

Cartilage grafts harvested from the ear are also known as auricular cartilage or conchal cartilage.

Ear cartilage grafts:

Can be easily removed without leaving any visible scars or causing noticeable changes in the shape of the ear
Are flexible and easy to shape
Can be used to reconstruct different components of the nose

Nevertheless, like the septum, the ear also has limited amounts of cartilage that can be harvested for grafting.

3. Ribs

During rib cartilage rhinoplasty, costal cartilage is harvested from the sixth or seventh rib to fully redesign the nose.

Costal cartilage is strong and available in large quantities, but it’s used as a last resort source of nose grafts because:

It’s often associated with warping (it may become bent or twisted out of shape).
Surgeons need to make an extra visible incision in the chest to harvest it.
It involves postoperative pain in the chest.

Guide to Rhinoplasty

When Is Nose Cartilage Grafting Necessary?

Cartilage grafts are often needed during rhinoplasty to help reconstruct different parts of the nose.

Adding cartilage to the nose, instead of removing it, can improve the structure and/or function of your nose during different types of rhinoplasty.

Augmentation Rhinoplasty

Augmentation rhinoplasty is a nose job technique that aims to make your nose look bigger or increase its projection.

The cartilage graft is sculpted and inserted strategically into different parts of the nose to augment its size and make it more prominent.

Nose augmentation surgery is usually done through an open incision technique. This incision allows Dr Hunt to gain access to the deeper tissue of the nose and better visualise your nasal structures. Nonetheless, opening the nose can make your nose tip and nostrils lose their support.

That’s why grafting during open incision nose jobs has the extra benefit of supporting internal nose structures and preventing them from collapsing.

Second nose job

The use of nose grafts is very common during revision rhinoplasty. Patients who are not satisfied with the results of their first rhinoplasty often ask for another nose job hoping it would give them the facial balance and harmony they’re looking for.

A botched nose job can compromise and weaken your nasal structures. Dr Hunt uses nasal cartilage grafts to rebuild the bridge of your nose (dorsum) and your nasal tip and reshape your nostrils after a failed first rhinoplasty.

Tip revision surgery: cartilage nose grafts are used in tip plasty during a secondary rhinoplasty if the nose tip lacks support or projection. Nasal tip grafts can improve the nose tip definition and enhance its projection. Cartilage can be used to add support to the structure of the nose, especially for patients with weak, drooping cartilage at the tip of the nose
Revision septoplasty: during a second septoplasty, a cartilage graft can be used to reconstruct the nasal septum and correct any obstruction of the nasal passage. Different types of nose grafts can be used to fix a deviated septum and straighten a crooked nose
Dorsum revision: a second surgery to reshape the dorsum may be needed if too much bone and/or cartilage was removed during the first nose surgery. Grafting cartilage onto the nose bridge can compensate for the excessively removed nose tissue. Nose cartilage grafts can make your nose look bigger, especially after dorsal hump removal, by adding height to your dorsum. The use of cartilage grafts is common in nose augmentation and reconstruction surgery

Post-trauma nose job

Post-traumatic rhinoplasty is done to surgically repair nose injuries. It can fix the appearance of the nose and resolve any functional problems such as airway blockage after a trauma to the nose.

A blow or bump to the nose can displace or damage the nasal bones and/or cartilage. Moreover, if the nose cartilage is deprived of its blood supply for too long, patches of cartilage can die leading to a nose deformity.

Hence, cartilage grafts are often used during a post-traumatic nose job to restore the shape and symmetry of the nose and fix breathing problems or other functional problems in the nose.

Ethnic rhinoplasty

An ethnic nose job is done to address specific cosmetic concerns in ethnic noses. Noses such as Asian or African American noses have anatomical characteristics different than noses of other ethnicities, such as:

Low dorsum height
A short columella
A broad and not well-defined nose tip
Wide and flaring nostrils

Asian noses usually also have weak and thin alar cartilage and a limited amount of septal cartilage. Cartilage grafts can be used in the nose to compensate for the lack of cartilage in noses of specific ethnicities and to augment or lengthen the nose.

Nose Deformities Fixed with Cartilage Grafts

Dr Jeremy Hunt performs specialised nose reshaping and reconstruction surgeries. He often uses cartilage grafts to improve the cosmetic and functional outcomes of your nose job and fix the following concerns:

A pinched nose

When the nose tip and nostrils are very narrow, they can obstruct breathing and give the nose a pinched look. A pinched nose tip can be either congenital (you’re born with it) or the result of excessive cartilage removal during nose surgery.

Dr Hunt sculpts harvested cartilage and then strategically implants it near the nose tip to widen the nasal tip and nostrils and correct a pinched nasal tip appearance.

Alar notching or retraction

The ala is the semi-circular piece of cartilage on the outer sides of the nostril. Alar notching or contraction occurs when the alar cartilage contracts upwards making the nostrils too visible and breathing more difficult.

Nose cartilage grafts can provide support to the nostrils and correct alar retraction or notching.

Alar collapse

Sometimes during reduction or ethnic rhinoplasty, cartilage is removed from the nostrils to reduce nostrils flaring and narrow the nose.

However, if too much cartilage is cut out during the nose job, the alae surrounding the nostril may become weak and collapse.

Dr Hunt uses reshaped nasal grafts to add support to the alae surrounding the nostrils and prevent or fix the alar collapse.

Saddle nose deformity

During a rhinoplasty, the nasal bridge (dorsum) may be excessively reduced which can result in what is known as a “saddle nose deformity”.

This type of nose deformity is commonly noticed after a failed nose job and in Asian noses.

Cartilage can be removed from the septum, ear, and even ribs, then sculpted to add height to the dorsum and improve the projection of the nose.

Polly beak deformity

A Polly beak deformity is one of the most common reasons for revision rhinoplasty. It occurs when the area of the dorsum that’s right before the nose tip has excess tissue.

This can happen when the nasal tip droops because of weak cartilage support.

Dr Hunt uses special grafts to add support to the nasal tip cartilage, raise the angle of the nose tip, and fix a Polly beak deformity.

A thin nose

A nose that is too thin will have narrow nasal valves that can limit the airflow into the nose and cause breathing trouble.

Nose grafts may be used to widen the nasal passage and fix or prevent nasal valve collapse.

A crooked nose

Some people are born with a crooked nose. On the other hand, a nose might become uneven after a bad nose job surgery.

A deviated septum, which is part bone part cartilage, is usually the cause of a crooked nose appearance.

Dr Hunt uses a specific type of nose grafts, known as spreader grafts, to correct a deviated septum and fix an uneven nose.

Nose asymmetry

If one side of the nose has less or weaker cartilage than the other side, the nose can look out of balance and appear asymmetric.

Nose cartilage grafts can improve the balance between the two sides of the nose and restore nasal symmetry.

Breathing problems

Using cartilage grafts during nasal reshaping procedures can also improve breathing and remove the nasal obstruction by:

Widening the nasal passage
Correcting a deviated septum
Reopening a narrowed nasal airway
Widening the nostrils
Fixing nasal valve collapse

By using cartilage grafts during your nose job surgery, Dr Hunt can make sure that your nose not only looks better but also works better.

Cartilage Grafts vs. Silicone Implants

Silicone nose implants are also sometimes used to reshape and sculpt the nose. Nevertheless, nose implants come in limited sizes and shapes – they aren’t as diverse as cartilage grafts. They can’t be sculpted to perfectly fit your needs.

Moreover, patients may experience silicone implant-related complications following their rhinoplasty, including:

Soft tissue contraction
Nasal structure deformity
Infection
Implant displacement
Skin thinning

Dr Jeremy Hunt prefers using grafts over implants to avoid these complications and give your nose a more natural look. Nasal cartilage grafts can safely and naturally reshape your nose, improve its definition, and give it the functional and structural support it needs.

FAQs about Cartilage Grafting Nose Jobs

Is ear or rib cartilage better for rhinoplasty?

Ear cartilage is safe and easy to harvest. It can also be easily sculpted, softened, and used to recontour the nose. However, there’s only a limited amount of cartilage that can be used from the ear. When it’s depleted, cartilage from the rib might be a suitable replacement.

Does cartilage grow after rhinoplasty?

The cartilage that is trimmed or removed during a nose job, or damaged during an accident, cannot repair or grow back on its own. Cartilage from different locations in the body (septum, ears, and ribs) can be used as grafts to compensate for the lost nasal cartilage.

Can I change the shape of my nose cartilage?

The shape of your nose is defined by the organisation of its internal structures including the bones and cartilage. During a rhinoplasty, both your nasal bones and cartilage can be changed and reshaped to change the appearance of your nose and/or improve its functions.

Is cartilage removed during rhinoplasty?

During a nose job, cartilage can either be removed or added to improve the nose’s shape and enhance its functions. If too much cartilage is removed during a first rhinoplasty, cartilage grafts can be added during a second nose job to make up for the lacking cartilage and repair the nose.

Medical References about Cartilage Grafting Nose Jobs

About Dr Jeremy Hunt – Specialist Plastic Surgeon

Dr Jeremy Hunt is a specialist plastic surgeon performing breast, body, face and nose surgery. He is a member of FRACS & ASPS and has over 20 years of experience providing cosmetic and plastic surgery in Sydney.

Careful, considerate and honest, Dr Jeremy Hunt works with you to find a solution that is optimal for your body and your lifestyle. Every patient is unique and, through his guidance, can achieve good results.

Dr Hunt’s personal, one-on-one service and attention to detail has given thousands of women and men from the Sydney & Wollongong NSW area and across Australia the aesthetic results they desire.

Dr Hunt’s qualifications and education

Dr Jeremy A Hunt MBBS FRACS graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine degree from Sydney University in 1990 and is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and member of ASPS – the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons. He completed a Fellowship at the prestigious University of Texas in the United States, where he learnt from some of the world’s very best plastic surgeons.

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Cartilage Grafts Nose Jobs