What is a Graft and What is It Used for in Rhinoplasty?

A graft is a piece of tissue from one portion of the body which is placed in another. The most common grafts used during rhinoplasty are comprised of cartilage, taken from the septum, ear, or rib. The general purpose of these grafts is to change the shape of the nose by altering the underlying bony/cartilaginous framework. Certain grafts, such as spreader grafts, can be used to widen or support the nasal airway, to improve breathing. Besides cartilage, grafts can also be made of soft tissue, skin, bone or the mucosal lining of the nose. 

A graft is typically a biologic piece of material (most commonly cartilage but it can be skin, muscle, bone or fascia) that is used to achieve a desired change of the nose depending on what is required.

Grafts refer to any cartilage or other substance added to the nose during rhinoplasty surgery. Most commonly they are composed of cartilage, from either the nasal septum or ear, but occasionally they can be from a rib or a cadaver cartilage, or an artificial substance (which can work great) such as GoreTex. These grafts can be used for purely cosmetic purposes, such as with a tip graft along the dorsum/profile, or for both cosmetic and functional purposes, such as with a columellar strut to help hold up the tip or rim graft to give nicer shape to the nostril. To be used properly, grafts are usually best performed by an experienced rhinoplasty surgeon.