UC Irvine

In this chapter, we introduce the working theory of cartilage reshaping and highlight landmark papers in the development and refinement of this technique. We discuss the tissue and mechanical properties of cartilage and define how optical techniques may be utilized to manipulate these properties. The goal of cartilage reshaping is to ultimately reduce the need for more invasive traditional approaches with scalpel and suture, in favor of much less invasive techniques. Therefore, we discuss the challenges associated with its development and delineate its translation toward clinical applications.