Relationship between the protrusion of the nasal tip and the dorsum in rhinoplasty.

The author discusses the relationship of the nasal tip and its protrusion to the physical contours of the dorsum. This relationship can be positive or negative. He emphasizes the necessity of correcting the tip before any correction of the dorsum, believing that correction of the alar cartilages is the key that determines the amount of hump resection or of lowering of the nasal dorsum, demonstrating his concepts with appropriate case illustrations. The author's technique (1974) of forward projection of the lower nasal base with a transverse silicone implant for patients with a negative tip-dorsum relationship is described.