Bone Resorption after Use of Silicone Chin Implants, Long-term Follow-up Study with Lateral Chin Radiography

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Radiology

Background:

• Silicone chin implants are common in cosmetic surgery for facial harmonization.
• Aesthetic chin modification is increasingly sought after for facial aesthetics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate bone resorption following silicone chin implant insertion.
• To assess the clinical significance of bone changes using lateral chin radiographs.

Main Methods:

• Study included fifteen patients with silicone chin implants placed at least one year prior.
• Surgery involved intraoral placement of the implant under the periosteum.
• Lateral chin radiographs were used to analyze bone changes.

Main Results:

• Fourteen out of fifteen patients exhibited bone erosion.
• The maximum observed bone erosion measured 2.0 mm.
• No patients reported any symptoms related to the bone erosion.

Conclusions:

• The majority of patients showed minimal, asymptomatic bone erosion after silicone chin implant surgery.
• The intraoral surgical technique with subperiosteal placement is associated with excellent aesthetic results despite minor bone changes.