15502-m-pleumeekers

RESULTS Indentation Indentation revealed significant differences ( p =0.011) in stiffness between ear cartilage (1.14 ± 0.71 MPa) and septal cartilage (2.65 ± 1.78 MPa), and ala nasi cartilage (1.26 ± 0.51 MPa), and septal cartilage ( p =0.005). (Figure 2) Comparison of ala nasi with ear cartilage showed no significant differences however. The stiffness per cartilage type varied considerably between donors. (Data not shown) Figure 2. Biomechanical properties of ear, alar and septal cartilages. Indentation revealed significant differences in stiffness between ear cartilage and septal cartilage (* p =0.011), and ala nasi cartilage and septal cartilage (** p =0.005). No significant differences between ala nasi and ear cartilage were seen. Biochemistry Cell density based on DNA content was significantly higher in ala nasi cartilage (2.35 ± 1.20 µg/mg dry weight) than in cartilage from the ear (1.13 ± 0.23 µg/mg dry weight) or septum (0.94 ± 0.52 µg/mg dry weight) ( p =0.005 and p =0.001 respectively). (Figure 3A) Auricular cartilage (141.40 ± 27.2 µg/mg dry weight) had a significantly higher elastin content than ala nasi (60.12 ± 18.35 µg/mg dry weight) and septum (17.38 ± 16.71 µg/mg dry weight). (Figure 3B) Water and collagen content were not significantly different between the cartilage types. (Figure 3C) In the nose, septum (96.00 ± 23.21 µg/mg dry weight) appeared to have slightly higher sGAG content (than ala nasi (64.61 ± 30.42 µg/mg dry weight). (Figure 3D) 50 CHAPTER 3