Surface Anatomy of the Nose
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Figures 1-4 show the nose from 4 viewpoints. Important surface landmarks are labelled.
Figure 1: Frontal
1 - glabella
2 - nasion
3 - tip-defining points
4 - alar-sidewall
5 - supra-alar crease
6 - philtrum
Figure 2: Base
1 - infratip lobule
2 - columella
3 - alar sidewall
4 - facet, or soft-tissue triangle
5 - nostril sill
6 - columella-labial angle or junction
7 - alar-facial groove or junction
8 - tip defining points
Figure 3: Lateral
1 - glabella
2 - nasion, nasofrontal angle
3 - rhinion (osseocartilaginous junction)
4 - supratip
5 - tip-defining points
6 - infratip lobule
7 - columella
8 - columella-labial angle or junction
9 - alar-facial groove or junction
Figure 4: Oblique
1 - glabella
2 - nasion, nasofrontal angle
3 - rhinion
4 - alar sidewall
5 - alar-facial groove or junction
6 - supratip
7 - tip-defining point
8 - philtrum
Figures 5-7 show the internal anatomy, beneath the skin.
Figure 5: Oblique
1 - nasal bone
2 - nasion (nasofrontal suture line)
3 - internasal suture line
4 - nasomaxillary suture line
5 - ascending process of maxilla
6 - rhinion (osseocartilaginous junction)
7 - upper lateral cartilage
8 - caudal edge of upper lateral cartilage
9 - anterior septal angle
10 - lower lateral cartilage - lateral crus
11 - medial crural footplate
12 - intermediate crus
13 - sesamoid cartilage
14 - pyriform aperture
Figure 6: Lateral
1 - nasal bone
2 - nasion (nasofrontal
suture line)
3 - internasal suture line
4 - nasomaxillary suture
line
5 - ascending process of
maxilla
6 - rhinion
(osseocartilaginous
junction)
7 - upper lateral cartilage
8 - caudal edge of upper
lateral cartilage
9 - anterior septal angle
10 - lower lateral cartilage
lateral crus
11 - medial crural footplate
12 - intermediate crus
13 - sesamoid cartilage
14 - pyriform aperture
Figure 7: Base
1 - tip-defining point
2 - intermediate crus
3 - medial crus
4 - medial crural footplate
5 - caudal septum
6 - lateral crus
7 - naris
8 - nostril floor
9 - nostril sill
10 - alar lobule
11 - alar-facial groove or
junction
12 - nasal spine
The septum is the midline structure inside your nose that divides your nose into left and right. The septum is an important structure in septorhinoplasty. Its
anatomy is shown here.
Figure 8: Septum
1 - quadrangular caratilage
2 - nasal spine
3 - posterior septal angle
4 - middle septal angle
5 - anterior septal angle
6 - vomer
7 - perpendicular plate of
ethmoid bone
8 - maxillary crest,
maxillary component
9 - maxillary crest palatine component
Figures 9-10 are not as important for the web viewer, but they highlight the important fact that the skin over the nose has muscles and blood vessels. This may
seem obvious, but it is important because if the surgeon does not fully recognize the importance of this fact, they may operate in the incorrect tissue planes, which
can result in violation of the muscle and blood vessels and subsequent abnormal scarring.
Figure 9: Musculature
A: Elevator muscles 1. Procerus
2. Levator labii alaequae
nasi
3. Anomalous nasi
B: Depressor muscles 4. Alar nasalis
5. Depressor septi nasi
C: Compressor muscles 6. Transverse nasalis
7. Compressor narium
minor
D: Minor dilator muscles 8. Dilator naris anterior
E: Other 9. Orbicularis oris
10. Corrugator
Figure 10: Vasculature
1 - dorsal nasal artery
2 - lateral nasal artery
3 - angular vessels
4 - columellar artery