Abstract
The relation between the nasal septum and the angle of the inferior and middle turbinate bones to the sagittal plane was statistically analyzed using X-ray tomography in a total of 1040 Japanese cases, 4 to 79 years of age. The results are as follows.
1) The angle of the inferior turbinate bone correlates positively with the distance between the nasal septum and the attachment point of the inferior turbinate bone to the side wall.
2) The angle of the middle turbinate bone is a poor correlate with the width of the nasal cavity.
3) Due to nasal septal deviation, the inferior and middle turbinate bones on the wider side deviate toward the septum. In other words, a “raising phenomenon” of the nasal turbinate bones occurs.
4) Due to septal deviation, the inferior and middle turbinate bones on the narrower side deviate outwards toward the side wall.
5) The possibility is high that this “ raising phenomenon” is due to an overload on the nasal respiration on the wider side over a long period of time.
6) Whenever the intranasal structure is corrected, it is necessary that a correction to make the turbinate bones symmetrical be added to the deviatomy. For a symmetrical turbinate bone, the ideal angle of the inferior turbinate bone to the sagittal plane is 45 degrees and of the middle turbinate bone to the sagittal plane 0 degrees.
