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differ but also vary in cell content may hold implications for surgical reconstruction, as tissues with higher cells concentrations potentially demand a more nutrient rich environment when transplanted. The merging of knowledge from practical experience and fundamental research in our opinion will prove essential in a world where tissue engineering is rapidly becoming reality, a development that should not be overlooked by surgeons. In conclusion, understanding the complete composition of tissue, both structural, mechanical and biochemical, is essential in order to regenerate an appropriate scaffolding environment for facial cartilage regeneration. This is particularly reflected by the finding that albeit it’s 3D structural similarity to septal cartilage, the ala nasi has a matrix stiffness that is more comparable to ear cartilage. In that light, the role of elastin remains to be further elicited, and perhaps we should question whether its name is not misleading in regard of its contribution to tissue mechanics. Acknowledgements We wish to thank Prof. dr. Bleys MD from the Department of Anatomy UMCU and the staff of the Dr. Tulp Foundation for providing the tissue samples. The research by MMP was financially supported by SenterNovem in the framework of EuroNanoMed (EAREG-406340-131009/1). The research was supported by the Dutch Burns Foundation. We further wish to thank Wendy Koevoet, Department of Otorhinolarynogology Erasmus MC for technical support with biochemical assays and Birgit Witte from the Department of Biostatistics of the VUMC for statistical support. 55 FACIAL CARTILAGE CHARACTERISTICS 3