Can A Custom Brow Bone Implant Lower The Brow Ridge?

Q: Dr. Eppley, What are the mechanics of lowering the brow ridge via a custom brow bone implant? Does the implant wrap around the underside of the supraorbital rim to allow projection from a lower level than the pre-existing bone would naturally allow or do I misunderstand this procedure?

Moreover, I’ve noticed that when it comes to implants for the orbital area in general, some merely project forward while others wrap around the rim or are “saddled” as I remember you putting it. What are the differences between these approaches and what kind of results do they tend to yield?

A: In answer to your custom brow bone implant questions:

1) In regards to lowering the brow ridge you are correct in that the implant must extend down and wrap around the bottom of the brow bone to achieve a lower projecting brow bone.

2) Whether an orbital implant lays on its outer surface or wraps around the rim depends on what one is trying to achieve…one is for horizontal augmentation while the other is for combined vertical and horizontal augmentation.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana