Why Is The End of the Zygomatic Arch of a Custom Infraorbital-Malar Implant Not Tapered?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had a question about my custom infraorbital-malar implant design. I notice that the back end of the zygomatic arch comes to a blunt end with 2mm thickness Why is it this way as opposed to tapering to a feathered edge? 

A:To refresh your memory as to this very topic we discussed during the custom infraorbital-malar implant design process, the tail end of the zygomatic arch is not usually tapered to a feather edge for two reasons:

1) A fine feathered edge is very prone to flipping up or rolled over during insertion which is never seen during placement…only to appear later when the swelling goes down as a prominent bump. I have learned that lesson more than once.

2) If it is tapered and the design fades from front to back there will be no visual evidence of an arch component at all.

These are the two reasons I don’t taper the ends. Most of the back ends of the arch component are often much thicker in the 3 to 4mm range as a blunt end. 

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana