Objective

This work describes a new method for recording nasal fracture in skeletonized individuals, suitable for use in biocultural studies of violence and fracture in past societies.

Methods

The method consists in recording the ‘side of fracture’, ‘side of deviation’, ‘type of fracture’, ‘other facial fractures’, and stage of ‘bone remodeling’.

Results

A lateral impact force to the facial area is typical of interpersonal violence. This may result in a unilateral nasal fracture and/or a laterally deviated nose. Given the predominance of right-handedness in human populations, side of fracture and, especially, side of deviation, may be useful indices of interpersonal violence. As regards fracture type, although a distal fracture of the nasal bones is the most common type, their comminution may be associated with higher impact forces. The presence of other facial fractures may also be an indicator of high-energy impacts.

Conclusions

Different patterns of nasal trauma may be consistent with different etiologies.

Significance

The method is focused at improving our ability to distinguish the direction and type of impact that caused the injury and, in particular, whether, at a population or sub-group level, such injuries are likely to be predominantly due to violence or to other causes.

Limitations

Well healed fractures of the nasal bones or injury to the septum may be difficult to identify. Also, it is not possible to confirm if nasal and other facial fractures are temporally concurrent.

Suggestions for further research

To test this method using skeletal collections with known trauma history or 3D prints of modern nasal injuries of known etiologies.

中文翻译：

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一种记录骨骼化个体鼻部骨折的新方法。

客观的

这项工作描述了一种记录骨骼化个体鼻部骨折的新方法，适用于过去社会暴力和骨折的生物文化研究。

方法

该方法包括记录“骨折侧”、“偏差侧”、“骨折类型”、“其他面部骨折”和“骨重塑”阶段。

结果

面部区域的横向冲击力是典型的人际暴力。这可能会导致单侧鼻骨骨折和/或鼻侧偏。鉴于人口中惯用右手的优势，骨折的一侧，尤其是偏离的一侧，可能是人际暴力的有用指标。至于骨折类型，虽然鼻骨远端骨折是最常见的类型，但它们的粉碎可能与更高的冲击力有关。其他面部骨折的存在也可能是高能量冲击的指标。

结论

不同的鼻外伤模式可能与不同的病因一致。

意义

该方法的重点是提高我们区分造成伤害的影响的方向和类型的能力，特别是在人群或亚组层面，这种伤害可能主要是由于暴力还是其他原因造成的.

限制

愈合良好的鼻骨骨折或鼻中隔损伤可能难以识别。此外，无法确认鼻部和其他面部骨折是否在时间上同时发生。

进一步研究的建议

使用具有已知创伤史的骨骼集合或已知病因的现代鼻部损伤的 3D 打印来测试此方法。