Abstract: Objective To investigate the applications of nasal septal cartilage grafts in the repair of post-traumatic nasal deformities. Methods Following trauma, the nose sometimes exhibits a flattened appearance, known as a saddle nose deformity. This deformity of the keystone area corresponds to a marked lack of bony and cartilaginous support. A total of 43 patients with a post-traumatic nasal deformity were treated with implantation and repair, using a nasal septal cartilage graft, from January 2014 to December 2016. We sutured and shaped the nasal septal cartilage according to the shape of the depression in the nasal dorsum, and inserted the graft through an incision along the alar margin. All the patients were followed up for 1-3 years. Results During follow-up, nine patients exhibited poor outcomes with respect to nasal appearance, and a secondary nasal deformity repair surgery had to be performed to obtain better results. Conclusion Nasal septal cartilage grafts have a very important role in the surgical correction of post-traumatic nasal deformities, as they can fill the depressed areas and maintain the continuity of the bony and cartilaginous nasal cones. However, they have a few limitations, such as post-operative cartilage absorption, leading to local deformation and poor contour. Therefore, improvements in graft quality/type/technique are necessary to obtain better nasal appearance.

Key words: Cartilage grafts, Bony nasal pyramid, Cartilaginous nasal midvault, Nasal deformities