Evaluating the Outcomes of Closed Reduction of Different Types of Nasal Bone Fractures

This study was conducted to evaluate the outcomes of closed reduction of different types of nasal bone fractures depending on time between onset of injury and reduction and comparing the outcomes of early closed reduction (within 6 h) of nasal bone fracture with late closed reduction (after 2 weeks). A hospital based Prospective cohort type of study was conducted among cases of nasal bone fracture attending the outpatient department of Otorhinolaryngology at Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chennai during the months of August 2021 to January 2022. A total of 54 participants were included in the study. Primary outcome was to assess the effectiveness of closed reduction of different types of nasal bone fractures postoperatively. The second objective was to compare the outcomes of early closed reduction (within 6 h) of nasal bone fracture with late closed reduction (after 2 weeks). Using chi square test, the association of factors such as age, sex, mode of injury, external framework deformity, type of fracture and treatment was analyzed with outcome measures such as post op degree of deviation, arch irregularity, malalignment, bony irregularity, bony displacement, olfactory disturbances and result. We analyzed the sample data statistically and measured the outcomes which showed that post operatively after undergoing closed reduction, some degree of deviation was present in 17(31.48./.), arch irregularity present in 12(22.2./.), malalignment in 11(20.37./.), bony irregularity in 24(44.44./.), bony displacement in 19(35.19./.), olfactory disturbances in 2(3.70./.). Comparing the outcome factors between early and late reduction, we found that the outcome was better in early closed reduction when compared with late closed reduction. Among the 54 patients studied, the results of closed reduction were found to be excellent in 27(50./.), Fair in 16(29.63./.), Good in 10(18.52./.) and poor in 1(1.85./.) We could thus conclude from this study that early closed reduction of nasal bone fracture gave better results than a late closed reduction in terms of post operative deformity, arch irregularity, malalignment, bony irregularity, bony displacement and olfactory disturbances.