Do Neck Muscle Implants Exist?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I was just wondering if neck implants to give a thicker masculine neck existed. Implants that would be placed in the sternocleidomastoid area to give a wider/thicker neck appearance from the front.

Thanks.

A: While there is no such implant made to augment the sternocleidomastoid muscle, as that is a request I have never received before, that does not mean such an implant can not be made. The practical side of placing them lies in the risk of injury to the greater auricular nerve which crosses over the mid portion of the muscle. While this is not a motor nerve that creates any neck movement, it is a sensory nerve that supplies feeling to the lower half of the ear. That would be the only issue to consider in placement of a ‘neck muscle’ implant.

Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana