Assessment of nasal base morphology using new proportion indices in Chinese

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to measure the soft tissue of the external nasal base in Han Chinese women and identify indices with which to simplify morphological assessment. METHODS: This study involved 155 Han women in China. The control group comprised 101 women, and the surgical group comprised 54 women. Using measurements and analytical software, we measured the nasal base on photographs in the two groups. The nasal base was also measured preoperatively and postoperatively in the surgical group. Results from the two groups were compared with a t test. RESULTS: The proportion index of the nasal tip triangle (upper nasal base) was c-prn/a = 0.33 ± 0.05 ≈ 1:3. The proportion index of the nostril trapezoidal (lower nasal base) was c-sn/all-alr = 0.25 ± 0.04 ≈ 1:4. The proportion indices of the nasal tip triangle and the nostril trapezoidal were larger in the postoperative surgical group than in the control group. Therefore, the nasal base morphology became stereoscopic through surgical correction. CONCLUSION: The current study provides a credible and objective reference for cosmetic nasal surgery. The proportion indices related to the nasal base can be used to intuitively and vividly ascertain the nasal base morphology. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.