Pediatric nasal fractures: evaluation and management

Abstract

Nasal fractures have been reported as 1 of the 3 most commonly encountered pediatric facial bone fractures. The most common causes of nasal fractures in this age group are auto accidents (40%), sports injuries (25%), intended injuries (15%), and home injuries (10%). Nasal fractures are usually treated with closed reduction (Higuera S, Lee EI, Stal S. Nasal trauma and the deviated nose. Plast Reconstr Surg 2007;120:64S-75S). This results in a significant incidence of posttraumatic deformities, often requiring secondary surgical treatment. For this reason, it is paramount to pay careful attention to the underlying structural nasal anatomy during the initial diagnosis and management.