Cartilage grafts are widely used in maxillo-facial reconstruction operations. There are some difficulties of conventional suture techniques in these operations such as long operation time, mobilization, shifting, and implantation or fixation of small pieces of cartilage. Therefore the advantages of a tissue adhesive over conventional suture techniques became evident in these operations. Butyl 2-Cyanoacrylate (B2-CA) is one of the least histotoxic cyanoacrylate derivatives and is used as a tissue adhesive. In this study, B2-CA was compared with conventional suture techniques in securing rabbit auricular cartilage autografts. Sutures were used in the left control ears and B2-CA was used in the right experimental ears of 24 rabbits. They were sacrificed between 15th day to 5 months. All samples were evaluated. There was no significant difference between experimental and control group with regard to histological structure, inflammation, graft migration, and graft viability. As a result, B2-CA can be used safely and effectively for fixation of cartilage grafts and has no more histotoxicity than sutures.

Cartilage grafts are widely used in maxillo-facial reconstruction operations. There are some difficulties of conventional suture techniques in these operations such as long operation time, mobilization, shifting, and implantation or fixation of small pieces of cartilage. Therefore the advantages of a tissue adhesive over conventional suture techniques became evident in these operations. Butyl 2-Cyanoacrylate (B2-CA) is one of the least histotoxic cyanoacrylate derivatives and is used as a tissue adhesive. In this study, B2-CA was compared with conventional suture techniques in securing rabbit auricular cartilage autografts. Sutures were used in the left control ears and B2-CA was used in the right experimental ears of 24 rabbits. They were sacrificed between 15th day to 5 months. All samples were evaluated. There was no significant difference between experimental and control group with regard to histological structure, inflammation, graft migration, and graft viability. As a result, B2-CA can be used safely and effectively for fixation of cartilage grafts and has no more histotoxicity than sutures.