Free cartilage grafts: the role of perichondrium.

Using adult rabbits, free ear cartilage grafts with and without perichondrium were overlapped and sutured to each other and then placed in preformed pseudosheath pockets for 1 to 12 weeks. The specimens were evaluated at various time intervals as to histopathologic changes at the interface and breaking load as a measure of the strength of the healing response. The results obtained strongly suggest that perichondrium responds briskly to repair injury and that the breaking load is greater in the presence of perichondrium and increases with time. It is suggested that perichondrium be included with free cartilage grafts for optimum survival and intercartilaginous healing.