Reconstruction of a large defect of the ear using a composite graft following a human bite injury

Abstract

Human bites to the ear are not an uncommon injury as a consequence of brawls or even contact sports like rugby. Untreated, the cosmetic outcome of such injury is unsightly. This case history documents how a patient, who had two-thirds of his external ear bitten off, was treated successfully by replacing the part as a composite graft. The segment replanted was minimally trimmed but inset to allow maximal soft tissue apposition at the skin edges. An episode of postoperative venous congestion was treated with leeches. Patience was exercised rather than early debridement of any struggling tissue. All these factors helped the final result, which was 100% take of the replanted segment. Six months from the time of injury, the grafted segment has maintained its shape without cartilage resorption.