Anatomy Guide › Head & neck
Nasal Bone
Pinch the hard bridge of your nose between two fingers: those are the nasal bones, a pair of small oblong plates that meet in the midline. They are surprisingly little — each about the size of a thumbnail — yet they define the profile of the entire face. Everything below them in the nose is flexible cartilage, which is why the tip of your nose wiggles but the bridge does not.
Because they sit at the most prominent point of the face, the nasal bones absorb the first contact in falls, sports collisions, and elbows gone astray. They are the most frequently fractured bones of the face. Fortunately, most nasal fractures heal well, though a displaced break can leave a visible bend and obstruct airflow — the reason boxers' noses develop their characteristic profile.
The nasal bones articulate with the frontal bone above, with each other in the middle, and with the upper jaw bones at their sides. Behind them, they help frame the opening into the nasal cavity, working with the ethmoid bone and the septum to divide and direct incoming air. Their inner surface carries a small groove for a nerve, which is why a solid knock on the nose brings tears to the eyes almost instantly.
In Anamo, the nasal bone is a precise little target in the face region. It sits at the crossroads of the frontal bone, ethmoid, and vomer, so it is an excellent probing guess when the heat map says the answer hides somewhere in the middle of the face.
- Two small plates that form only the bridge of the nose — the rest is cartilage
- The most commonly fractured bones of the face
- Articulate with the frontal bone above and the upper jaw at the sides
- Help frame the bony opening of the nasal cavity
Think you could find the nasal bone on a 3D model? Play Anamo and test yourself — every guess is color-coded by how close it lands to the mystery structure.