The broken nose: does familiarity breed neglect?

A questionnaire method was used to assess the ability of early primary reduction to treat the fractured nose. Questionnaires were sent to one hundred and twenty eight such patients of whom eighty five (66%) replied. Seventy two (85%) of the patients expressed satisfaction with their nasal appearance with only thirteen (15%) requesting corrective surgery. Thirty one patients (36%) experienced nasal obstruction following reduction and of those, eighteen (21%) wished to undergo further surgery. In a separate study the cause of nasal deformity in fifty five patients undergoing septorhinoplasty was ascertained. In thirty six of these patients (65.5%) the deformity resulted from a neglected nasal injury. The value and limitations of early primary reduction of nasal fractures is discussed.