Nasal Bone

Description

Seen in lateral profile, the paired nasal bones (os nasale) form the superior third of the piriform aperture and meet at the internasal suture along the midline, just inferior to the glabella region of the frontal bone. Their superior border articulates with the nasal part of the frontal bone at the frontonasal suture, while the lateral margin abuts the frontal process of the maxilla, creating the bony sidewall of the nasal bridge. Inferiorly, the nasal bones taper toward the cartilaginous dorsum and the bony septal region, with the maxilla and nasal spine complex lying anteroinferior to the nasal cavity. Posterior to the highlighted nasal bone, the cranial vault and facial skeleton remain intact, and the cervical spine continues inferiorly from the occipital bone through the atlas (C1) and axis (C2) into the subaxial vertebrae. Orientation matters for trauma and reconstruction. Lateral views like this help you relate the nasal bone to the frontal process of the maxilla and the nasofrontal junction, the common hinge point for displaced nasal fractures and the target for controlled osteotomies during rhinoplasty. Small changes in alignment at the nasion can alter dorsal contour and airway patency, and the nearby naso-orbito-ethmoid region is a frequent source of missed fracture extension on initial assessment. A practical landmark. SciePro clients commonly place this figure in head and neck anatomy courses to teach facial buttresses, in ENT and plastic surgery teaching files when discussing nasal fracture reduction and osteotomy lines, and in radiology or emergency medicine education when correlating lateral facial skeleton anatomy with plain films and CT reformats. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.