Can PMMA Bone Cement Be Used For Face Augmentation?

Q: Dr. Eppley, Hello. A question…can PMMA BONE CEMENT be used  for face augmentation as in: infraorbital, zygoma, maxilla and malar regions. And does it work permanently or it shrink over time.

Best regards

A:The problem with PMMA bone cement is that it is impossible to place it and get it to have the desired shape and symmetry between the two sides of the face. It is a moldable putty which has to be intraoperatively shaped and then allowed to cure and set. This concept works well in a wide open implantation site like the skull but is much more technically challenging in the very limited incisional accesses used in the face. For very small facial augmentations this might work but not for most of the type of facial augmentations that most men seek.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana