Will The Masseter Muscle Move Back Down As Healing Progresses After PEEK Jaw Implants?

Q: Dr. Eppley, Hello. I had a PEEK implant operation on the right side of my jaw on November 2024. This was for the correction of a slight asymmetrical jawline. I feel like everything is healed, but it seems like the masseter muscle is too high up, not where it is supposed to be. My doctor said that the muscle will get stronger over time and move down to its natural position. Is this true, or is there a possibility that the masseter muscle was displaced during the PEEK implant operation?

A: By description you likely have masseter muscle dehiscence, where the insertion of the masseter muscle ligaments have become detached from the bone as a result of the pocket dissection for the implant placement. As a result the muscle retracts upwards from loss of its ligamentous attachments. The muscle is ‘not going to get stronger and move back down’….that makes little biologic sense and is not an anatomic reality.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon