The Nasal Bone

The nasal bones are two small, symmetrical bones of the midface which build the bridge of the nose. 

Anatomy

Their superior borders and main bodies form the bridge of the nose while the inferior borders connect with the nasal cartilage to form the superior margin of the nasal aperture.

Borders

It is bordered medially by its pair (→the internasal suture), the nasal part of the frontal bone superiorly (→frontonasal suture) and laterally by the frontal process of the maxilla (→ nasomaxillary suture). The perpendicular plate of the ethmoid bone (→ nasoethmoidal suture) and the septal cartilage of the nose lie behind the nasal bones. Inferiorly it is attached to the lateral cartilage of the nose.

Nasal bone - ventral view

Osseous Development

The nasal bones are ossified intramembranously via the cartilaginous nasal capsule. Clinically the hypoplasia or absence of nasal bones is a common feature in Down syndrome (trisomy 21) and other chromosomal abnormalities. That is why the detection of the nasal tip during ultrasound has become part of prenatal screening tests in many countries.