Naso-orbital-ethmoid (NOE) fracture is relatively
common in midfacial regions, but management remains
challenging. Here we report a novel technique
using nasal septal cartilage to correct para-nasal soft
tissue asymmetry in a 17-year-old Japanese male 6
months after surgical treatment of fractures in the
NOE complex. An otorhinolaryngologist harvested
the septal cartilage during nasal septoplasty to correct
a deviated septum that was planned to coincide
with removal of the plates 6 months after the
primary surgery. The maxillofacial surgeons then
grafted the septal cartilage into the concave area in
the right para-nasal region and fixed it with a bioresorbable
screw after removal of the right plate via a
transconjunctival approach. The postoperative course
was uneventful and the patient was satisfied with
the cosmetic outcome after 9 months postoperatively.
Septal cartilage could be an effective grafting material
for correction of postoperative midfacial concave
deformity following repair of an NOE fracture.