Can rasping the front nasal bone actually make the nose appear wider?

This is a very insightful question. When a dorsal hump or nasal bump is removed either with a rasp or an osteotome it can create a very flat nasal bridge. The flat nature of the bridge, if left uncorrected, will make the nose look square and wider on the front view. This is why in the vast majority of cases a hump reduction is always followed by osteotomies to narrow the nasal bones and create a natural, rounded contour to the nasal bridge. I hope this information is helpful for you.Stephen Weber MD, FACSDenver Facial Plastic Surgeon

Rasping down the bones in some anatomies can create this appearance.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

Hi there. Because of the pyramidal shape of the nose, rasping may make the dorsum appear wider (flatter tip to the pyramid) but will not affect the base width. This is usually corrected at the end of the operation with small osteotomies - the two sides of the bone are broken and pushed together in the midline giving the dorsum a more narrow appearance. I hope that helps.

The nose is like a pyramid, if you rasp the nasal bones the top of the pyramid becomes separated, so that the tissues that drape the nose (the skin) looks blunted and not as sharp, so the nose looks less projecting and appears wider. To overcome that, Plastic Surgeons for decades have been "breaking the nose" by gently infracturing the two nasal bones, so they reform the top of the pyramid. That is why was have to break the nose and why the patient has to wear a cast for 7 days, while the nose heals.

When rasping the front part of the nasal bone/dorsal hump more than a millimeter or 2, it will create an open roof deformity and the nose will  appear wider. Osteotomies of the nasal bones are then required to narrow the nasal bones once the hump has been removed.  For more information and many examples, please see the link and the video below

Imagine the nose as a triangle. If you take off the top of the triangle, and don't push the sidewalls  in, then it will be flatter on top. So in answer to your question is yes...if you rasp too much and don't perform osteotomies, it can flatten.

In my opinion rasping the dorsum without doing osteotomies  (in-fracturing the nasal bones) could lead to a wider appearance from the front. You should be examined in person to get the best answers to all your questions. Best wishes.Below is a fully healed rhinoplasty patient. 

Typically, rasping is done if a small amount is removed.  Removing too much can cause the nose to appear wider.  When reducing the noses a large amount, osteotomies will need to be done to bring the width of the bone in.

Rasping will not make the nose wider unless too much is done. If the bridge does increase in width osteotomies can be done to correct that problem.

Only if the rasping were overdone. It is a technique done frequently on patients with a narrow but high bone structure and artfully done will look great if it suits your anatomy.