Left Major Alar Cartilage (Cartilago alaris major sinister)
Educational content only — not medical advice.
Anatomy
The left major alar cartilage (greater alar cartilage) is a thin, flexible U-shaped hyaline cartilage forming the framework of the nasal tip and external naris. Consisting of a medial crus that forms the anterior nasal columella and a lateral crus that curves around the nasal ala, it defines the contour of the nasal lobule and maintains patency of the external nasal valve.
Clinical notes
Weakness or excessive surgical resection of the lateral crus causes alar collapse during inspiration (external nasal valve collapse); reshaping via tip rhinoplasty is central to aesthetic and functional nasal surgery.
Related structures
Educational references
FAQ
What is the role of the Left Major Alar Cartilage?
The left major alar cartilage (greater alar cartilage) is a thin, flexible U-shaped hyaline cartilage forming the framework of the nasal tip and external naris. Consisting of a medial crus that forms the anterior nasal columella and a lateral crus that curves around the nasal ala, it defines the contour of the nasal lobule and maintains patency of the external nasal valve.
Why is the Left Major Alar Cartilage clinically important?
Weakness or excessive surgical resection of the lateral crus causes alar collapse during inspiration (external nasal valve collapse); reshaping via tip rhinoplasty is central to aesthetic and functional nasal surgery.
Source & license
BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science licensed under CC Attribution 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). license details