Will I need cartilage grafts to straighten my crooked nose? (Photos)

Hi, It is better for you to consult with a facial plastic surgeon who can examine you and give you opinion based on your needs and expectations.

Based on your photo, your nose could be reset fairly easily. If your nose was perfectly straight before the injury, you have a great chance of being straight again with just a refracture of the bones. If it was crooked to begin with, you may need a cartilage graft to help hold it in a straight position. Either way, you don't have to have much of a change in appearance. Be sure to see a rhinoplasty expert for consultation.

Based on your photos, you appear to have a reverse C shaped appearance to your nose. When we consult with somebody with a crooked nasal appearance, we do discuss the possibility of utilizing spreader grafts for a straighter nasal appearance. Sometimes, however, after we perform osteotomies, we can achieve a straighter nasal appearance without the use of grafting. The answer to your question is it depends how your nose looks after osteotomies are performed. I hope this helps. Sincerely, Dr Joseph

You most likely will not need a cartilage graft but you may need the septum cartilage operated on to reposition.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Hello and thank you for your question. Based on your photograph, the best approach would likely be osteotomies and placement of spreader grafts to help straighten your nose. With good surgical technique, you could have an outstanding result. I recommend that you seek consultation with a qualified board-certified rhinoplasty surgeon who can evaluate you in person.

Best wishes and good luck.

Richard G. Reish, M.D.
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

Hi, When it comes to injuries of the nose, it is usually the bone and cartilage that get injured. However, there are some cases, depending on the injury where it is just the bone that is the issue. It is hard to tell for certain in these photos but it seems your injury may be mostly from the nasal bones being deviated left. Most bone only injuries are ideal to fix in the first 2 weeks before the bones fuse as the are relatively easy to pop back in place. However, it is also very common to fix them later by performing osteotomies (cuts or breaks) along the bone, and then moving them back to their correct spot. These are usually not difficult to recreate with very small incisions inside the nose. Here is where terminology gets confusing ...When we fix them right after injury without "re-breaking" the bones, it is called a closed reduction. When we have to recreate the "breaks", even though it is with small incisions inside the nose (not a full on rhinoplasty) ... it is called an "open reduction".These terms are different from open and closed rhinoplasty, which refer to more significant changes of the nasal structure. So in your case, there is a very good chance this can be fixed with just bone osteotomies, and avoid any cartilage work or grafting. However, if on exam the surgeon notes that there are potential breaks in the cartilage, then grafts may be necessary. These come from the septum which is already being operated on, so it doesn't have to come from another location. If you had any imaging after the injury such as CT scan, it would be helpful for your surgeon to see. Make sure to bring the actual CD with images, not just the report. Good luck!

Thank you for your question.As seen from your photos, you have a deviation to the left. Deviation can be corrected with nasal osteotomy, and depending on your anatomy cartilage grafts or cartilage flap techniques can also be used to straighten your nose.

Hi yes we will have to rebreak the bone to straighten the nose again. With preservation method, your nasal bridge and dorsum will not change, and we will be able to correct the deviation. You might need some bone sculpturing in order to get rid of bony overgrowth that might be contributing to the crook nose.

Hello, thank you for your question. As can be seen from the photo, it seems that this curvature can be corrected with your own nose cartilages. However, if you can send a photo from the side, we can give a clearer answer.

You will probably need a full rhinoplasty. Because the bony vault is deviated as well as the lower cartilage(most likely with a prominent septal deviation). But that necessary cartilage is taken from the septum itself. No rib cartilage would be necessary. If an acute correction had been done it could have been corrected without any surgery