About the Causes of Nasal Bone Fractures and Surgical Methods

The content I will introduce this time is about nasal bone fractures. Among some well-known videos,

there is Mike Perry, who suffered a nasal bone fracture from a knee strike by an opponent during an UFC match. I would like to explain what the surgical methods and principles are in such cases. At Anplus as well, many people visit us because of nasal bone fractures. For example, men often fracture their noses through soccer, basketball, or exercise, while women often sustain nasal bone fractures after not noticing a very clear glass door and running into it.

So, to show you a direct case from Anplus,

First, in the case of a patient who visited Anplus, the fracture occurred after bumping into a glass door that was too clear to notice. If you look at the CT scan, you can see that it is broken in an inverted triangular shape.

The white part is the bone, and you can see that it is broken. In this case, it is a linear fracture.

This refers to a fracture in which the bone does not completely move out of place and retains some point of connection.

Reduction is the process of setting the nasal bone back into place, and it is broadly divided into two types: closed reduction and open reduction.

Closed reduction refers to setting the bone without making an incision. It is a procedure in which an instrument is inserted through the nostril to lift and align the displaced nasal bone. It can be said to be a relatively quick and simple procedure. Also, in the case of nasal bone fractures, the golden time after injury is important.

In the case of nasal bone fractures, swelling begins about a day after the fracture occurs. If the swelling is severe, it becomes difficult to assess the inside of the nose, making it hard to align the bone with closed reduction. Therefore, closed reduction is best performed within 5 to 6 days after the swelling subsides. If surgery is delayed too long, the bones may heal while still misaligned, and in that case, closed reduction becomes difficult.

If a lot of time has passed, open reduction is performed. Open reduction is a surgery in which the nose is incised so that the bone can be seen directly and aligned accurately.

Therefore, the first case was treated with closed reduction. However, since there was originally a slight hump on the nose, this was also done together with cosmetic surgery, smoothing out the hump and slightly lifting the tip of the nose.

Then, are nasal bone fracture surgery and cosmetic surgery performed separately? No. They can be performed at the same time. Reduction and cosmetic surgery are performed together. That is why many people also visit Anplus for nasal bone fractures.

To explain a slightly more serious case, this was a case of someone who hit their face on an elbow while playing basketball, and the nasal bone had broken off and collapsed.

Looking at the X-ray, this can be considered a severe fracture. In this case, the nasal bone was restored to its original shape through open reduction, which involves making an incision.

Does this type of fracture have a specific name? Yes. The second patient mentioned earlier had a comminuted fracture,

A comminuted fracture is a fracture in which the bone is crushed into pieces, damaging the surrounding tissue and causing severe bruising and swelling. In such comminuted fractures, if the bone fragments move out of place, a deformity may remain. To prevent deformity in these cases, it is important to treat them as quickly as possible.

Also, in the case of comminuted fractures, it is important not only to set the nasal bone but also to put back into place the deviated bone of the septum, which is the middle wall inside the nose that separates the two sides. Although it is a fairly large surgery, if the nasal bones are raised back into position and septal reconstruction is performed, a return to the original state is possible.

In the second patient's case, they were a student, and they said they were more satisfied than before the surgery. The bones of adults and children are different; children’s bones are a bit softer, so they actually do not break as easily. The problem is that even with a small impact, as they grow, there is a difference between the growth rate of the bones and the growth rate of the cartilage. So if a child slightly bumps their nose, in many cases they may grow up with a hump or a deviated septum.

In the case of nasal bone fractures, most people do not realize it and simply think they will be fine after a traumatic impact. However, please do not dismiss it as a minor injury, and I recommend getting examined in case of any possible issues.

Today, I explained nasal bone fractures, which can happen while exercising or through accidents in everyday life. I hope this was helpful for those who are looking into nasal bone fractures. Thank you.

https://youtu.be/5IJza4l1oeo