Danger in the “Shadows”: Rib Cartilage Histomechanics

Warping has always been accused of the unsatisfying results of rib cartilage. However, as noticed before, microanatomic transitions of the cartilage tissue may have caused altering of the biomechanical properties of the rib cartilage. With this hypothesis, the authors aimed to scrutinize the signs of histologic and biomechanical details of rib cartilage. In 2 cadavers, the fifth to eighth cartilages were harvested after CT scans. As the authors found a “shadowy” view on CT scans in our previous study, these areas were tested with biomechanical tests and histology in the current study. The results showed significantly differing microstructures in these areas, including immature cartilage structures.