Chemical, physical and mechanical analysis of explanted breast implants.
The chemical and biomechanical properties of explanted implants whose time of implantation ranged from zero to 21 years were measured. The properties appear to decrease with time. However it is important to note that proper controls have yet to be tested. The consistency of the gel varied considerably with manufacturer and date of manufacture. The data will be correlated with control samples when they become available. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that in some instances, the gel does affect the cross-linking, i.e., strength, of the silicone rubber shell. At the present time only a limited number of samples have been tested in this on-going program. One of our major objectives, to determine the influence of the physiological environment of the human body on the durability of the silicone implant, has yet to be quantified.
Wolf
C J
CJ
Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
Brandon
H J
HJ
Young
V L
VL
Jerina
K L
KL
Srivastava
A P
AP
D018427:Breast Implants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012828:Silicones / Q000737:chemistry*
D012828:Silicones