Will Participating In Sports Cause A Problem With My Chin Implant?

Q:  I am considering getting involved in martial art training and was wondering if having a chin implant would pose a problem with that activity. I have a porex chin implant and I’m afraid it will shift if struck. Have you ever seen a porex implant shift from blunt trauma? Is there a difference in potential shifting between porex and silicone implants. Please let me know so I will know whether or not to proceed with martial arts training.

A: I would not personally refrain from martial arts training, or any other contact-related sports activity, if I had an indwelling chin implant. The risk is always there that a good blow to the chin could cause a problem such as shifting of the implant but that risk to me seems very low. There is an equal, if not greater risk, of breaking one’s nose or having a tooth knocked out. Such are the orofacial risks of any contact sport.

The potential advantage of a porex (medpor) chin implant over a silicone one in terms of shifting in the face of trauma is theoretical. Because the porex implant has greater tissue adherence and even some amount of tissue ingrowth, one would assume that it is more resistant to movement after surgery over a purely non-ingrown encapsulated silicone implant. But blunt trauma to the jaw with enough force can easily fracture the bone so the potential for implant movement, regardless of its composition, is always a low occurrence possibility.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis Indiana