Postoperative effects of anterior nasal spine bone harvesting on overall nasal shape

Abstract

Aim Bone harvesting from the anterior nasal spine (ANS) is frequently used to correct peri-implant bone defects, particularly during implant placement in the anterior maxilla. However, many clinicians are concerned about the postoperative effect of removing the ANS on the nasal outline, as the ANS is integral to supporting the nose. This study aimed to describe the technique of ANS bone grafting and to investigate postoperative effects of bone harvesting from the ANS on the overall nasal shape.

Material and methods Fifteen patients with single maxillary first incisal rehabilitation using dental implant were enrolled in this prospective clinical study. Simply by extending the subperiosteal dissection in the same surgical field without additional local anesthesia, a bone block of about 0.250.5ml could be harvested from the ANS. Nose width (NW), nasolabial angle (NLA), and nasal tip depth (NTD) were measured and analyzed by lateral and frontal photographs taken preoperatively (T0), and at postoperative 1week (T1), 3months (T2), and 6months (T3). Postoperative complications were also recorded.

Results A significant increase in NW and decrease in both NLA and NTD were found at T1 (P<0.05). At T3, NW, NLA and NTD returned to preoperative measurements at T0 without major complications.

Conclusions The ANS could be an effective and easily accessible intraoral source for autologous bone. Despite acute soft tissue swelling, the net postoperative effects of removing the ANS on the overall nasal shape, including on nasal tip collapse or widening of the nose base, were negligible.