Background: Nasal bone fractures are the most common type of facial bone fracture. Closed reduction is the standard treatment and is typically followed by intranasal packing. Conventional materials such as Vaseline or Furacin roll gauze and Merocel are widely used, but biodegradable synthetic polyurethane foam (SPF, Nasopore) has recently gained popularity as it does not require removal. This study focused on postoperative pain primarily caused by mucosal injury, and investigated whether polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), a mucosal protective agent, could reduce pain when applied to SPF packing. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of 117 patients who underwent closed reduction for nasal bone fractures at the authors' hospital between March 2019 and February 2022. Sixty patients received PVP-soaked SPF, while 57 patients received SPF alone. Postoperative pain was assessed by comparing the mean frequency of daily analgesic administrations during hospitalization. Results: Of the 117 patients, 57 were included in the SPF group (group A) and 60 in the PVP-SPF group (group B). The mean frequency of analgesic administration until postoperative day 2 was 0.68 in group A and 0.50 in group B, demonstrating a significantly lower analgesic requirement in the PVP-SPF group ( P = 0.013). Conclusion: Following closed reduction of nasal bone fractures, intranasal packing serves to stabilize the fracture site, achieve hemostasis, and protect the nasal mucosa. As pain is predominantly derived from mucosal injury rather than osseous movement, the use of PVP-soaked SPF may effectively reduce postoperative discomfort and improve patient satisfaction. These findings suggest that PVP-soaked SPF represents a valuable option for postoperative nasal packing.
Choi et al. (Mon,) studied this question.