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Brian J. F. Wong, MD; Amir M. Karamzadeh, BS; Marie J. Hammer-Wilson, MS; Lih-Huei L. Liaw, MS; J. Stuart Nelson, MD, PhD; Thomas E. Milner, PhD

Arch Facial Plast Surg. 2001;3:24-27.

Background  The chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model allows direct observation of vascularization acutely in explanted or cultured tissues in an immunologically isolated environment. In vivo, angioinvasion of the tissue matrix does not occur in viable cartilage tissue, whereas denatured or nonviable grafts are readily vascularized and/or resorbed.

Objective  To determine, using the CAM model, whether angioinvasion of thermally altered cartilage explants occurs acutely.

Materials and Methods  Porcine septal cartilage specimens were removed from freshly killed animals and divided into 3 groups (n = 10): an untreated control group, a group in which cartilage was boiled in isotonic sodium chloride solution (normal saline) for 1 hour, and a laser-irradiated group (Nd:YAG, = 1.32 µm, 30.8 W/cm², irradiation time = 10 seconds). Tissue specimens were then washed in antibiotic solutions, cut into small cubes (approximately 1.5 mm³), placed on the surface of 30 CAMs (7 days after fertilization), and allowed to incubate for an additional 7 days. After incubation, the membranes and specimens were fixed in situ with formaldehyde and then photographed using a dissection microscope.

Results  Examination with a dissecting microscope showed no obvious vascular invasion of the cartilage or loss of gross tissue integrity in any of the 3 experimental groups, although all specimens were completely enveloped by the CAM vascular network. No vascular invasion of the tissue matrix was observed histologically.

Conclusion  These experiments demonstrate that cartilage specimens remain acutely resistant to angioinvasion or metabolism by the immunologically immature CAM whether native unmodified tissue, completely denatured (boiled), or thermally modified following laser irradiation.

From the Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic, University of California, Irvine (Drs Wong and Nelson, Mr Karamzadeh, and Mss Hammer-Wilson and Liaw); Division of Facial Plastic Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, Irvine, Orange, Calif (Dr Wong); and Biomedical Engineering Program, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Texas at Austin (Dr Milner).