Can a Hit Cause a Permanent Dorsal Hump?

Injury to the bridge of the nose can cause a small dorsal hump even without breaking the bones.  This can result from the upper lateral cartilages and septum getting separated from the bone and 'falling in' thus making the bony part of the nose appear to be sticking out.  This can be corrected with cartilage grafting.

Trauma to the nasal bridge can cause a nasal hump even without a fracture. There is always the possibility of a bony fracture however. If the nasal bridge is broken, the deformity will be even more prominent after the swelling is gone. The other option would be that the nasal cartilages would be broken. Whatever the case is, you should wait one should wait for the edema to resolve and then decide on any corrective aesthetic surgery if the deformity is prominent.

Hope this helps,Ali Rıza Öreroğlu, MD FEBOPRASEuropean and Turkish Board Certified Aesthetic, Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeonIstanbul, Turkey

Usually the bump that appears immediately after a non fracture trauma is just swelling and will go away. However, if a fracture occurred (even a small one), then bony remodeling can create a small bump that persists. If that happens, then a small procedure can take it back down.

Hello,Excessive force on the nose can definitely cause swelling that will cause a bump. Based on your description, it sounds like swelling because there is pressure on the bump. Just be patient and try to ice it. If the bump persists, then consult your board certified facial plastic surgeon.All the best, Deepak Dugar, MDScarless Rhinoplasty ExpertBeverly Hills, CA 90210 

Good QuestionLots of people come into my office and tell me that they never had a hump until they had an injury as a child and then the noticed a hump from then on.  Truth is that you are unlikely to develop a sizable hump as a result of hitting your nose and most of what you see is indeed swelling HOWEVER sometimes you get a little bleeding over the bone and when it heals it forms some scar tissue and I do believe that can lead to a small hump therefore I recommend gentle paper taping of all my patients who hit there noses.Hope that helpsDr Rahban

A temporary hump can form after trauma due to skin swelling and will usually resolve within weeks. A permanent hump may form if the cartilaginous support of the nose is fractured inward, making the bony supports appear more prominent. These may be repaired in 6-12 weeks with a rhinoplasty procedure.

Dorsal humps may result from a nasal fracture, but in some cases, there may be transient swelling at the point of impact for several weeks. Consider consulting with a reputable rhinoplasty specialist for evaluation. Thank you. Dr Joseph

Bumps after trauma to the nose are common.  There is no way to determine if the bump is permanent until the swelling goes down.  If you ice it 20 minutes on, 40 minutes off each hour for 3-4 days, the swelling will abate and you will be able to tell if there is likely to be a residual bump.  This will be within the 2 week period that the nasal bones are mobile in the event that there was a bony fracture.

It is in fact possible for a traumatic event such as a hard hit as you describe in your post to cause a “hump” to appear. The pressure of the impact can cause a separation between your bone and your nose’s septum, causing a hump-like appearance. I would advise that you try not to worry about your situation while your nose heals, as the condition might fix itself. However, if the dorsal hump persists, consulting a board certified plastic surgeon will help you more thoroughly evaluate your options. 

One can have an increase
in the nasal prominence from scar tissue after nasal trauma or fracture. If it
has not resolved in 3-6 months, I would seek a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
with expertise in rhinoplasty.

Nasal trauma is an
extremely common phenomenon. These injuries are frequently accompanied by rapid
onset of swelling and may result in bleeding. It can be very difficult to
differentiate isolated soft tissue swelling from fractures of the nasal bones
in the immediate post injury period. For this reason, it may take time for a
determination to be made. After approximately two weeks, the swelling should
resolve and the extent of the injury should be clear.