Nose break - timeframe on cartilage alignment?

Question

After a nose break, is there a time-frame on realigning minor cartilage displacement? The bone has healed fine but there is some minor displacement in the cartilage which isn't really causing me any trouble.

Ali Sajjadian, MD, FACS · Answer

Damianltaylor,To answer your question directly, there is no timeframe on cartilage realignment after a break. If you are not having trouble with breathing and do not see a change in appearance that greatly displeases you, than there is no need for a surgical procedure. However, if problems begin to arise, I advise that you see a surgeon to discuss your options.Hope this helps!Dr. Ali Sajjadian

James Bonaparte, MD, MSc, FRCSC · Answer

I wish I could give more advice but it really depends on how it looks and what cartilage is disrupted. There are many in the nose and depending on what is moved, determines the treatment.

S. Daniel Golshani, MD, FACS · Answer

While after nasal bone fractures you have a few weeks to surgically re-inset the nasal bones into proper position, with cartilagenous deformities , correction really depends on the need for functional or cosmetic improvement. Meaning, if it doesn't bother you by blocking your breathing or cosmetically, you can wait . Scar formation over time or even at the time of initial fracture can make surgery harder, so I advise that you consult and follow with a rhinoplastic surgeon to make sure that an early intervention is not necessary.

Garrett H. Bennett, MD · Answer

You have 2 weeks to reset broken nasal bones before they heal and you would need a formal surgery. Cartilage has no such time-frame. Once it is deformed you would need surgery if you wanted to change it. It also may become more deformed over time as scar tissue forms. If you don't mind the way your nose looks and you are breathing well then there is no hurry to have surgery. Wait until something really bothers you.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

Trauma to the nose can cause a fracture of the nasal bones and a fracture of the cartilage off of the nasal bones. To reset the nasal bones straight from a  crooked position requires osteotomies of the nasal bones. To straighten the upper lateral cartilages in the mid-vault area requires a spreader graft which is composed of the patient's own cartilage placed underneath the concave upper lateral cartilage. For many examples of broken nose repair in our practice, please see the link below

Nose break - timeframe on cartilage alignment?

Answers (5)

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