The authors performed this study to test the hypothesis that the nasal skin of patients with unilateral nasal valve collapse demonstrates reduced elasticity and increased pliability on the side of the collapse compared with the nasal skin on the side without nasal valve collapse. Dynamic nasal valve collapse results in reduced airflow as breathing effort is increased. With weakening the sidewall even at normal inspiratory flow rates, the negative pressure drawing the sidewall medially is greater than the resistive forces maintaining lateralisation of the nasal sidewall. At this point, dynamic nasal valve collapse can occur during low-effort breathing. This cohort study of 27 patients with unilateral nasal valve collapse found increased external skin pliability on the side of the nose with the nasal valve collapse compared with the side without collapse, but no difference in elasticity between the sides. The authors concluded that meaning assessment of external nasal skin for pliability and elasticity may help to determine which patients are at risk for failure of a septoplasty owing to potential nasal valve collapse.
Pliability and elasticity of the external nasal skin in unilateral nasal valve collapse
Reviewed by Mohsen Naraghi
Assessment of pliability and elasticity of the external nasal skin in patients with unilateral nasal valve collapse, a static biomechanical evaluation.
