New Technique for Preparing Cartilage for Intracordal Injection: The Freezing and Grinding Method

SummaryObjectives/HypothesisWe developed a technique for preparing harvested cartilage that creates finer, more uniform pieces by freezing with liquid nitrogen and grinding with a mortar and pestle. Herein, we report the application of this new technique for intracordal cartilage injection.Study DesignExperimental study.MethodsHuman cartilage was obtained from surgical cases. In the standard method, harvested cartilage was prepared with scissors and a knife. In the experimental group, harvested cartilage was frozen with liquid nitrogen and ground with a mortar and pestle.ResultsIt took an average of 60 minutes to manipulate cartilage using the standard technique, whereas it took an average of 10 minutes using the freezing and grinding method (P < 0.001). The average size of cartilage flakes generated by the standard and new techniques were 727 and 48.6 μm, respectively. The cartilage flakes produced using scissors and a knife were able to pass through a 19-gauge needle, whereas those created using the freezing and grinding method were able to pass through a 24-gauge needle.ConclusionsUsing the freezing and grinding method, cartilage was broken into fine, uniform pieces that could pass through a 24-gauge needle. This new technique will facilitate the production of commercial cartilage material for intracordal injection.