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Aesth Plast Surg (2013) 37:989992 DOI 10.1007/s00266-013-0184-3
EDITORS INVITED COMMENTARY EXPERIMENTAL/SPECIAL TOPICS
Effect of the Depressor Septi Nasi Muscle on Nasal Lengthening Over Time
Igor Niechajev
Received: 11 June 2013 / Accepted: 21 June 2013 / Published online: 16 August 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York and International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 2013
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In this unusual, interesting, and original study, the authors examined two groups of patients: one group with hyperactive depressor septi nasi (DSN) muscles and one group with nonactive DSN muscles [1]. In the latter group, the nasal tip did not rotate down during animation. In each group, 40 pairs of adult children and parents were examined at the same time to obtain measurements of nasal length.
It is known that human noses gradually become longer during the process of aging. The assumption of this investigation was that the child is a genetic copy of the parent and that the length of the parents nose would thus predict the length of the childs nose after 2030 years of aging.
In their recent study of 25 patients with active DSN muscles, Kosins et al. [4, 5] measured the dynamic changes in the lipnasal tip region and found that the nose actually elongated only an average of 1 mm during smiling. Simultaneously, the nasolabial angle (N-LA) decreased by an average of 11.8; the alar rim moved 4 mm upward; and the upper lip retracted upward, sometimes forming the transverse crease. Kosins et al. [4] concluded that nasal tip drooping and elongation of the nose are optical illusions perceived by the observer as the supraalar crease and subnasal area elevate and the alar rim straightens, with the
nasal tip barely moving at all. This observation undermines the initial hypothesis of Beiraghi-Toosi et al. [1] that continuous animation elongates the nose because the elongation effect at animation was only 1 mm.
The name DSN is somewhat misleading. The nasal septum is composed of both cartilaginous and bony portions. Its distal part,...