Which bone is most likely to be fractured when a person is punched in the nose?

The nasal bone is the most likely to be fractured when a person is punched in the nose due to its location and relatively thin structure. The nasal bones are small and fragile, situated at the bridge of the nose, and they endure direct trauma during facial impacts, such as a punch.

When force is applied to the face, particularly at the midline where the nose is located, the nasal bones are often the first to sustain an injury because they are not significantly reinforced by surrounding structures. This makes them particularly vulnerable to fracture in situations involving blunt trauma.

The other bones mentioned, like the sphenoid, maxilla, and ethmoid, while they may be involved in facial injuries, are generally less likely to be fractured as a direct result of a punch to the nose. Their anatomy provides them with more structural support or they are positioned in a way that makes them less susceptible to this particular type of trauma.