The "Nordstrom suture" to enhance scalp reductions.

The authors compared the results of 10 scalp reductions using the "Nordstrom suture" with the earlier published results of scalp reductions without a device to prevent stretch-back and of reductions with extenders. At 1 month postoperatively, the Nordstrom suture eliminated the stretch-back of 8.3 mm seen in earlier studies and, in fact, it shrank the bald area. The average shrinking achieved with the Nordstrom suture was 16.9 mm (i.e., 143 percent improvement over scalp reductions alone). Scalp extenders shrank the bald area, but the Nordstrom suture shrank the area about three times more than extenders at 1 month postoperatively.