Nasal fractures are the most common facial fracture and the third most common fracture of any bone in the body. They most frequently occur as a result of assault or motor vehicle collisions. What we call our “nose” is made up of both bone and cartilage where the cartilage sits in front of the bone. The cartilage acts as a shock absorber when the nose is impacted: An impact that comes from the front requires more force to fracture the bone than an impact that comes from the side.
Many nasal fractures result in obvious deformity and most result in nasal bleeding. Some patients may also have bruising to one or both of their eyes (black eyes). Acute complications include septal hematomas, which are a collection of blood in the nose and may lead to tissue death.
Long term complications include:
- Nasal obstruction
- Deformity
- Frequent nose bleeds due to a deviated septum
For our newsletter and blog this month we are discussing nasal fractures. The blog topics for this month are:
- What is a nasal fracture, really? (5/1/15)
- Does the patient in your case have a nasal fracture? (5/8/15)
- Nasal Fractures: What does the literature say? (5/15/15)
- Legal Implications (5/22/15)
Note: To see all posts in this topic, click here
