The snout after resection of nasal septum in adult rabbits.

Abstract

THE SEPTOVOMERAL REGION has been considered an important growth center of the nose and adjacent facial structures. Consequently in a previous experiment various amounts of the septovomeral region (including cartilage, vomer, and premaxilla) were resected in young growing rabbits.¹In a subsequent less traumatic experiment a relatively large amount of only cartilaginous nasal septum was resected in young growing rabbits.²The postoperative period ranged from 15 to 20 weeks. In both groups the findings were striking and comparable. They consisted essentially of a markedly shorter, smaller, tapered snout with a deflection of the dorsum in an anterior direction. The nasal bones and cavity, as well as the piriform aperture, were considerably smaller than normal. The incisors were in malocclusion, malshaped, and overerupted. Since in both of the above experiments in young growing animals the anterior dorsal snout did not attain its normal size, it was concluded that resection