Analysis of nasal bone fractures; a six-year study of 503 patients.

The aim of this study is to classify the nasal bone fractures based on computed tomography (CT) analysis and patterns of the nasal bone fractures, and review 503 cases treated between 1998-2004 at the Department of Plastic Surgery, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, South Korea. The age, sex, etiology, associated injuries, pattern of fractures and treatments were reviewed and a radiographic study was analyzed. Plain simple radiographs of lateral and Waters view of the nasal bones combined with computed tomography scans were done. Nasal bone fractures were classified into six types: Type I) Simple without displacement; Type II) Simple with displacement/without telescoping; IIA; Unilateral; IIAs) Unilateral with septal fracture; IIB) Bilateral; IIBs) Bilateral with septal fracture; Type III) Comminuted with telescoping or depression. Diagnosis of nasal bone fractures were made positively by plain x-ray films in 82% of cases, negative finding was 9.5% and 8.5% of cases were suspicious of the fractures. Reliability of the plain film radiographs of the nasal bone fracture was 82% in this study. In the most of the fractured nasal bones (93%) the closed reduction was done, open reduction in 4% and no surgical intervention in 3%. Nasal reduction was carried out in average 6.5 days post the injury. The patterns of the nasal bones fractures classified by CT findings were type IIA (182 cases, 36%), IIBs (105 cases, 21%), IIB (90 cases, 18%), IIAs (66 cases, 13%), I (39 cases, 8%) and III (21 cases, 4.3%). We think the CT is necessary for diagnosing nasal bone fracture because the reliability of the plain film was only 82%.