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.

It is possible, depending on the impact of the hit, to cause a permanent dorsal hump by a trauma to the nose. It is common to see swelling immediately after an injury to the nasal bones; however, if irregularity persists, a rhinoplasty may be necessary for cosmetic improvement. Please consult with a board certified plastic surgeon with tremendous experience with rhinoplasty surgery.  

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