Review of the functional anatomy of the cartilages and muscles of the nose.

This paper reviews the anatomy of the nasal cartilages and muscles. Accurate anatomical knowledge of these structures may facilitate the design of a model to study the mobility and support of the lateral nasal wall and ala and may thus provide information on the dynamics of valve area. It is concluded that a uniform description of nasal cartilages and muscles is still lacking. This is especially true for the attachments of the nasal cartilages to neighbouring structures, as well as the location and function of the muscles influencing the valve area. The use of uniform, preferably anatomical, terminology is encouraged.