In Vitro Ear Cartilage Shaping with Carbon Dioxide Laser an Experimental Study

Deformed cartilage remodeling appears to be a challenge, as cartilage tends to keep its initial shape because of internal stresses. Cartilage can be remodeled with heat, and this report describes the use of a CO₂ laser beam for in vitro cartilaginous tissue remodeling. Straight cartilage samples were removed from the ears of 21 rabbits deprived of perichondrium and remodeled with the CO₂ laser at an output power of 3 W, a spot diameter of 2 mm, and an exposure time of 0.5 second. The remodeled cartilages and control samples were implanted into the rabbits' backs and retrieved 6 to 12 months later. Histologic and morphological analysis showed that the irradiated cartilages retained both their shape and their viability. This may be a useful clinical technique for in situ remodeling of a deformed cartilage in operations such as septoplasty.