Bone Resorption After Chin Implants

Once a patient undergoes a chin implant, the worry is always that the underlying bone will wear and resorb, leading to some asymmetry down the line.  This was more of a worry with the older generation of chin implants.  These days, with the correct size and shape ( based on anatomical features) and placement, along with fixation, it should be minimized.  There is no way to accurately predict who it will happen to, but if you do all these things, the chances are low.  I hope this helps.

Hi Franki,

Any solid implant placed in front of bone will place pressure on the bone causing it to resorb a bit.  There is no known time limit for the process to occur.  The larger the implant placed, the greater the speed and amount of absorption.  If the implant has to be removed for any reason and replacement is not part of the surgical plan, then you face the possibility of a visible change in your facial skeleton.  The only option I can see to minimize absorption is to try non-surgical chin augmentation with an injectible filler or fat grafting, or have surgical chin augmentation via a genioplasty (an operation that surgically breaks the chin and moves it forward.)  I hope this answer was of help to you.

Warmest regards,

Dr. Shah

Bone resorption with chin implants is a common finding with implants that are placed too high on the chin bone. This can occur when chin implants are placed from inside the mouth and are not secured down to the lower edge of the bone. It can also occur from a submental chin incision approach but is much less common because it it easer to keep the pocket of the implant low. The observation that it does not occur with more anatomical chin implants is because the wings of the implant keep it  from riding up higher, acting like lateral stabilizing bars. From either approach, if the implant ends above the basal bone of the chin (which is thick cortical bone) it rests on bone with a much thinner cortex. This is where bone resorption will be seen with chin implants. It is a function of bone position and is not an actual feature or result of the implant or its material composition per se. This bone resorption phenomenon (which is largely benign and not of any great signfiicance) can be completely avoided by proper implant position on the lower edge of the chin bone. This will also maximize the benefits of the horizontal projection that the chin implant provides, some of which is lost if it gets malpositioned higher.

The older implants seem to have much more bony effect than do the anatomical chin implants.  The larger the implant the more of an effect it will have on the bone reabsorption of the chin.  If you use a reasonable size implant you should not have any significant problems.

If you need a very large implant then I would recommend have a sliding genioplasty to literally advance the bone to correct your problem.  Your plastic surgeon should be able to discuss this with you as well as implants.

Bone resorption in chin implant is dependant on the size of the implant and the larger the implant the more the pressure and the more the possibility of bone resorption. It was more common with the old WAFER type implant. Alternatives include fat transfer, but this may require multiple procedures and more expense, and extreme experience. Cosult a BOARD CERTIFIED PLASTIC SURGEON (AMERICAN BOARD OF PLASTIC SURGERY)