Structure
The lateral nasal cartilages are one of three paired plates of cartilage forming the lateral, cartilaginous skeleton of the external nose. It is triangular and forms the superolateral part of the lateral wall of the external nose. The cartilage plate is thickest anteriorly and gets thinner posteriorly.
Related parts of the anatomy
Anatomical Relations
The posterior side of this triangular cartilage continues along the nasal bone and onto the frontal process of the maxilla. The anterior side attaches to the septal cartilage on the midline. Thus, the major attachment of the external nose to the facial skeleton and to the internal nose is by the lateral nasal cartilage. The base of the triangle of cartilage articulates with the major alar nasal cartilage.
Function
The lateral nasal cartilage fuses with the septal cartilage along the midline, ideally at an angle between 10 to 15 degrees. In this area is the internal nasal valve, essential to maintain the normal nasal airway (Park et al, 2015).
List of Clinical Correlates
—Symptomatic nasal obstruction
—Rhinoplasty
References
Park, J., Suhk, J. & Nguyen, A. H. (2015) Nasal Analysis and Anatomy: Anthropometric Proportional Assessment in Asians-Aesthetic Balance from Forehead to Chin, Part II. Semin Plast Surg, 29(4), 226-31.
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Nasal Cartilages
Intercrural ligament (suspensory ligament) is a ligamentous connection between the cephalic border of entire alar cartilages.
