A case study demonstrates effective nasal bone fracture reduction using an ice gel pack, suggesting a cost-efficient alternative to conventional methods.
Nasal bone fractures are the most common type of facial bone fracture, and accurate reduction is essential for restoring the nasal form and function. Ultrasound-guided closed reduction allows real-time visualization of the fracture site without radiation exposure; however, adequate visualization can be technically challenging because the nasal bone protrudes from the surface of the body. Additionally, acoustic coupler gel pads for nasal bone fractures are expensive. We report the case of a 23-year-old man with a depressed nasal bone fracture who underwent successful closed reduction under ultrasound guidance using a commercially available ice gel pack containing a superabsorbent polymer as an acoustic interface. The ice gel pack, warmed to room temperature, provided clear visualization of the fracture site with minimal ultrasound gel and allowed precise intraoperative assessment and reduction. Postoperatively, the patient showed marked improvement in external nasal deviation and nasal obstruction, with satisfactory fracture healing as confirmed by computed tomography. This simple, inexpensive, and readily available technique may serve as a practical alternative to conventional acoustic coupler gel pads and facilitate the wider adoption of ultrasound-guided reduction of nasal bone fractures in routine clinical practice.
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Kamimura et al. (2026) studied this question.
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