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The causes of curvature of the septum of the nose
Last reviewed: 19.10.2021
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According to the etiological principle of deformation of the septum of the nose, the main groups can be divided at the bottom: post-traumatic and resulting from anomalies in the formation of the osteochondral skeleton.
Pathogenesis of the curvature of the septum of the nose
The pathogenesis of posttraumatic curvatures seems to be extremely clear and does not need explanations. However, a clear division into these two seemingly dissimilar groups can not be traced because even minor injuries of the nose that each person receives in early childhood when learning to walk can affect the further growth and formation of the skeleton of the septum of the nose and, consequently, the formation its deformations. There is a theory that proves that even birth trauma can lead to such anomalies of development. It is not known whether the injury always serves as a starting point and curvature of the septum of the nose or there are other provoking factors
In newborns and young children, the nasal septum, as a rule, is straight, and its skeleton consists of separate islands of cartilaginous tissue (growth zones) that do not border each other. These fragments, partly ossified, begin to grow and unite with each other, forming a full-fledged bone-cartilaginous skeleton, which provides support to the back of the external nose. Due to trauma and other, yet unknown, causes in some cases in the physiological process of growth and the formation of the skeleton of the septum of the nose, a failure occurs. As a result, fragments of the future skeleton grow towards each other, ahead of normal developmental periods, superimposed on each other in the area of joints, bend, not accommodating the space allocated to them, and form spines and ridges along the seams. The formation of the skeleton of the septum of the nose ends by the age of 16-18, by the same date the septum of the nose acquires its final shape, which either provides its owner with a free nasal breathing throughout life or, conversely, creates problems and leads to the development of a number of diseases, may require surgical correction. However, the process of growth does not occur in isolation, but is associated with the formation of surrounding structures - if the upper sections of the septum of the nose are displaced to the side, then the pneumatized central nasal concha fills the free space on the opposite side. Pneumatization of the skeleton of the inferior nasal concha in the wider half of the nasal cavity is observed less often, usually the volume of this shell increases due to hypergenesis of the bone core and hypertrophy of the cavernous tissue. Understanding these processes is important for the proper planning of surgical treatment, since one operation on the septum of the nose without adequate correction of the nasal concha is often not enough.