Question:
How can a rhinoplasty fix a nose that has been broken and twists to the side?
Answer:
The nose is divided into three parts, the bony dorsum, the cartilaginous dorsum and the tip. When a nose is crooked each portion needs to be made straight individually and as a unified nose. The bony dorsum is straightened by performing osteotomies, cuts in the bones and moving them to the midline. The cartilaginous dorsum is made up of the nasal septum and the upper lateral cartilage. If the septum is inherently deviated it can be excised and reconstructed. If the upper lateral cartilage is deviated or asymmetric then it can be straightened by adding grafts either between the septum and upper lateral, called spreader grafts or by grafting cartilage on top, called an onlay graft. The tip cartilage again is often affected by the nasal septum and creating a straight septum is the first step. The cartilage itself is then sutured into position to create a straight symmetric nasal tip.
Posted by Dr. Buckingham
