Ear Cartilage Use As a Spreader Grafts?

As others have pointed out, the best cartilage for spreader grafts is septal (or even upper lateral) cartilage. It's a stiff hyaline cartilage and usually straighter, too, than the elastic conchal cartilage of the ear. That said, if septal cartilage is inadequate and the patient doesn't require the greater invasiveness of costal (rib) cartilage, then the ear can work just fine.

I find that spreader grafts of any source are best when fixated into place with permanent sutures, but this is especially true for the more elastic ear cartilage.

All the best,

--DCP

Pearson Facial Plastic Surgery®

Ear cartilage is only used for grafting  purposes if the nasal cartilage has been completely harvested from previous surgery, and there is a cartilage depleted nose present  at the time of the rhinoplasty. A spreader graft is typically 2-3 mm thick and when placed bilaterally and give 4-6 mm of augmentation of additional width.  Please see the link and the video below for examples of spreader grafts placed in our rhinoplasty practice

Each situation has to be weighed in terms of what you are looking to achieve. Septal cartilage is strong and the best for grafts in rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty such as spreader grafts. Ear cartilage is next choice if the septal cartilage has been used or removed by prior septoplasty. The problem with ear cartilage is that it is soft and pliable. So it is good for volume, even spreader grafts but not to straighten a crooked nose. If a nose needs a lot of cartilage for grafts or needs straightening and septum is not sufficient, then I prefer rib cartilage.