Can Kryptonite Bone Cement Be Used For Facial Augmentation To Replace Chin And Cheek Implants?

Q:  I have consulted Dr. Eppley before about jaw implants and noticed in a recent article that he is using Kryptonite Bone Cement that is injectable. Could this be used to augment the jaw or cheeks and chin instead of having a full blown surgery? Just curious if it can’t because if it can be used in skull recontouring the use for facial recontouring seems like a logical extension of its use. After all, bone is bone and why would it not adhere to the jaw/cheeks/chin as well?

A: Currently, the use of Kryptonite Bone Cement as an injectable method is for skull recontouring only. While in theory it could be used for facial augmentation (cheek and chin implants) as well, there are two major problems with this application. First, the material must be injected and then shaped by external molding. Making a flat shape on a skull by using external digital molding can easily be done, trying to make a more complex shape like a cheek or a chin is another material.Whatever shape you get after four minutes after injection is what it will permanently be. To adhere to bone the periosteum must first be raised just like an implant. Injecting onto the bone does not make go under the periosteum alone. If he material does not completely go under the persiosteum and adhere to the bone, it will rock and be mobile. Secondly, the cost of Kryptionite is 10 to 20X what a facial implant will cost. For the skull, all competitive materials cost thousands of dollars in material cost as well. For the face, however, facial implants are far less expensive and have established shapes that work. It simply is not cost effective for the patient to use Kryptonite for facial bone augmentation, even if it worked just as well.  

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis Indiana