Mid-Facial Sagittal Growth Following Resection of the Nasal Septum-Vomer:A Roentgencephalometric Study in the Domestic Cat

Stentless endoscopic transnasal repair of bilateral choanal atresia starting with resection of vomer

“…In an experimental study, Cupero et al [20] concluded that resection of vomer not affects facial growth. In 1981, Freng [21] reported that the growth of the nasal septum/vomer, at least at its basal parts, is not involved in facial development during the period from infancy to adulthood. Moreover in more recent studies, safe extensive resection of vomerine septum, especially superiorly (Near total endoscopic removal of the bony septum) was done safely by Mcleod et al [8] with no clinical facial growth disturbance.…”

Nasal septal deviation and craniofacial asymmetries

“…Not all nasal septal extirpation experiments showed reduction in facial growth with removal of the nasal septum. Other extirpation studies on short snouted animals (guinea pigs, cats, and ferrets) performed by Stenström and Thilander, 1970;Freng, 1981;Cupero et al, 2001; did not see the changes in anteroposterior dimensions in their animal subjects as was noted in the studies performed on long snouted animals. They theorized that the shorter overall length of the nasal septum in these animals suggests a reduced role of the nasal septum in growth (Stenstrom and Thilander 1970, Freng 1981, Cupero, Middleton, and Silva 2001.…”

“…Other extirpation studies on short snouted animals (guinea pigs, cats, and ferrets) performed by Stenström and Thilander, 1970;Freng, 1981;Cupero et al, 2001; did not see the changes in anteroposterior dimensions in their animal subjects as was noted in the studies performed on long snouted animals. They theorized that the shorter overall length of the nasal septum in these animals suggests a reduced role of the nasal septum in growth (Stenstrom and Thilander 1970, Freng 1981, Cupero, Middleton, and Silva 2001. Later experiments by Siegel and Sadler, 1981 on chimpanzees--which have a shorter snout than previous animal studies and more closely mimic human facial growth--showed that septal resection had minimal effect on facial growth when compared to controls (Siegel and Sadler 1981).…”

Nasal septal deviation in a longitudinal growth sample

“…The main cause of the downward tipping was likely due to structural changes, not alterations in growth (Stenström and Thilander 1970). Similar surgery on cats showed no significant difference in experimentally excised basal septal cartilage when compared to sham and control cats (Freng 1981). Ferrets showed no change in anteroposterior length after partial resection of vomer or nasal septal cartilage compared to controls (Cupero, Middleton and Silva 2001).…”

“…Some have even found the septum to have its own inherent growth potential when excised and placed in appropriate growth medium (Kvinnsland 1973;Copray 1986). Other animal models, including the closely related chimpanzees, have found less change with total or partial septal excision (Stenström and Thilander 1970;Freng 1981;Siegel and Sadler 1981;Cupero, Middleton and Silva 2001). The animal models have provided means to test the main growth theories, but as of yet are still inconclusive.…”