Does Rhinoplasty Make Nose More Likely to Break in the Future?

Question

Can Rhinoplasty make the nose prone to breakage in the future, even months or years after it has healed from the surgery?

Philip S. Schoenfeld, MD, FACS · Answer

The question you have posed is one that I am frequently asked. I treat many athletes, several professional ones, and that is one of the questions the patient and trainers who come with them ask me about. My response to their question is that your nose will be extremely durable after about six weeks. Unfortunately, I feel that once a nose has been fractured, the fracture sites are slightly weaker than the bone that has not sustained previous fractures. That said, the force that is required to break your nose after rhinoplasty with an appropriate healing period would be considerable.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

The rhinoplasty operation itself does not weaken the nose for future injuries. Osteotomies themselves, when the nose bones are broken, can leave the nose slightly more vulnerable to a fracture than if the nose bones were not broken. The osteotomies heal by fibrous union and not osseous union, which means they are not quite as strong as the original nasal bones. It still takes a very large blunt force to break the nose whether you have had a rhinoplasty or not.

Toby Mayer, MD · Answer

Having had my nose broken several times I can tell you it is just as strong. Actually after only 2-3 weeks we usually need a chisel to rebreak it. So don't worry.

Jeffrey E. Schreiber, MD, FACS · Answer

This risk depends mainly on what was done during the rhinoplasty. If the bones were "broken" and major work was done on the bridge of the nose then you may be at higher risk to injure your nose soon after the surgery. After about 1 year, your risk will most likely be the same as someone who hasn't had surgery. If you get a rhinoplasty and only minimal work is done on the tip then your risk of breaking your nose is most likely not elevated.

Amir M. Karam, MD · Answer

The answer is, once the bones have healed after 6 weeks, it is unlikely that your nose will break any easier than it would have prior to the rhinoplasty. In general, after rhinoplasty you will want to be careful of any injury to your nose, as this may change the shape of other components of the nose.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD · Answer

Not all rhinoplasty procedures require bone cuts (osteotomy) but most do. Any wound or scar is never really as strong as the original tissue. In general wounds tissue has about 80% of the strength of normal tissue whether it be in skin, muscle, or bone. I have read it takes about 7 pounds of force to break a nose. Therefore it should take about 5.6 pounds of force to break a repaired nose.

Houtan Chaboki, MD · Answer

Yes, especially if the nasal bone has been reshaped with the initial rhinoplasty.
Nasal bones heal over several weeks after nasal surgery. At least 6 weeks are required for appropriate healing. Most rhinoplasty surgeons do not allow any form of contact sports for 6 weeks after surgery.
The nose is not necessarily prone to break again with routine activity. However, the nasal bones are always a little weaker after rhinoplasty, and usually break along the same areas as the original nasal surgery. Most broken noses after rhinoplasty usually require minor repositioning of the nasal bones to improve symmetry.
Best of luck.

Maurice M. Khosh, MD · Answer

In most rhinoplasty surgeries, the nasal bone are broken so that they could be narrowed. The nasal bones regain their strength by about six weeks. So, after about six weeks, the nose should be able to sustain an injury in the same fashion as it did before rhinoplasty. The only caveat is in rhinoplasty cases were significant amounts of cartilage has been removed from the lower part of the septum. In such cases, the lower part of the nose may become slightly weaker. In practical cases, however, this is a very uncommon scenario.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

If you had a previous rhinoplasty, the bones should be strong enough to not break unless they take a serious hit. They should almost be as strong as they were before the surgery.

Robert M. Freund, MD · Answer

Scar tissue, which includes bone fractures are never as strong as the original product. However, when it comes to nasal fractures and Rhinoplasty, I would not worry so much. If you have a nasal trauma strong enough to break our nose, it would likely happen either way!

Does Rhinoplasty Make Nose More Likely to Break in the Future?

Answers (12)

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