Comparison of Scar Results and Time for Closures of Scalp Defects Via Pulley Sutures or Layered Repairs

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Scar
• Interventions: Procedure: Intermediate Repair; Procedure: Pulley stitches

• Registration Number: NCT02744950
• Lead Sponsor: Henry Ford Health System

Brief Summary

Surgical defects on the scalp require closure via various techniques of suture placement. A traditional technique requires both dermal (deep) and epidermal (superficial) placement of sutures to close the defect; this is referred to as intermediate or complex linear repair. However, the scalp is a location with high tension, and thus the closures take an hour or longer to perform. A type of suture placement referred to as the "pulley stitch" requires placement of a few stitches along the defect. The pulley stitch can be used in areas of high tension to close a large defect. The purpose of this study is to compare the scar results and time taken to perform scalp closures via only pulley stitches or via intermediate/complex linear repairs.

To my knowledge, no such study has been performed to compare the two techniques. Such a study would be useful in demonstrating comparable scar appearance and reduce the time to perform scalp closures.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2013-11
• Primary Completion: 2015-05
• Study Completion: 2015-05
• Status Verified: 2016-04
• Study First Submitted: 2016-04-14
• Study First Submitted QC: 2016-04-15
• Last Update Submitted: 2016-04-15
• Study First Posted: 2016-04-20
• Last Update Posted: 2016-04-20

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 21

Inclusion Criteria

1. Age greater than 18 years
2. Ability to understand risks, benefits, and alternatives to the study and to be able to give an informed consent
3. Lesions such as skin cancer or benign lesions on the scalp amenable to surgical excision or to MOHS surgical technique
4. Frontal scalp defects defined as frontal hair line to crown of scalp
5. Scalp defect size of 2cm - 8 cm

Exclusion criteria:

1. Patients who tend to form keloids or hypertrophic scars
2. Patients with a history of scleroderma or morphea
3. Pregnant or breast-feeding females
4. Patients whose surgical defects require flap closures

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Intermediate/complex repair	Intermediate Repair	This arm will have closures of scalp defects with deep and superficial suture placement.
Pulley stitches	Pulley stitches	This arm of the study will have only pulley stitches to close the entire defect.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Time to close wound	Depends on case typically 4-10 minutes	Time it takes to close the defect in each arm; measured in minutes

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Henry Ford Health System- Dermatology; 🇺🇸 Detroit, Michigan, United States