FPS Facial Plastic Surgery · 2021

Sonic Rhinoplasty: Review and Updated Uses

Hjelm N, Goldfarb J, Krein H, Heffelfinger RN, Pribitkin E.

What this paper says

A short review updating the uses of the ultrasonic bone aspirator in rhinoplasty, reporting only the authors' subjective impression that results are as good as or better than with other instruments.

Overview

The ultrasonic bone aspirator is a powered instrument that cuts and shapes bone using high frequency vibration. Its use in rhinoplasty has been described before, but the authors state the device has since been improved and its applications expanded. This article reviews those updated uses across cosmetic and functional rhinoplasty.

Sections of note

Narrative review; the abstract reports no patient numbers, no outcomes, no complication rates and no follow up.
The authors state the device offers precision and ease of use at multiple steps of an operation.
Both bony and cartilaginous modifications to the nose are said to be aided by it.
The only outcome statement is that in the authors' experience patient results have subjectively been as acceptable as, if not better than, those with other rhinoplasty instruments.

What it means for a patient

This is an instrument review, not a study; no measured benefit is reported.
The claim of better results is explicitly described by the authors as subjective.
No comparison group, no timeline and no complication data appear in the abstract.

Why this paper matters

Ultrasonic instruments have changed how nasal bone is reshaped, replacing chisels and rasps in some practices. This paper records that the technology and its indications have moved on since earlier descriptions. It supplies no evidence on whether outcomes differ from conventional instruments.

Terms

Ultrasonic bone aspirator: a powered tool that cuts bone with high frequency vibration while sparing soft tissue.
Cosmetic rhinoplasty: surgery aimed at the appearance of the nose.
Functional rhinoplasty: surgery aimed at nasal breathing.
Subjective assessment: a judgment based on impression rather than measurement.

Summary written by rhinoplasty.cc from the abstract, 2026-09-09; not medical advice. The authors' own abstract follows.

From the abstract

“The ultrasonic bone aspirator (UBA) allows for precision and provides ease of use in multiple steps of cosmetic and functional rhinoplasties. Its use has previously been described; however, since the publication of many studies the UBA has been improved and its applications for rhinoplasty have been modified and…”

Excerpt; the full abstract is on PubMed.