A custom wrap around jawline implant offers an unparalled approach to jawline augmentation. Made from a 3D CT scan it is designed to provide varying amounts of chin and jaw angle dimensional changes that are connected as a single piece implant. Because it is one larger implant it usually has to be placed through a three-incisional technique, one around the chin and the other two intraorally back by the jaw angles.
Because each incision is much smaller than the length of the implant, the sides of the implant must be initially introduced through the chin incision. The sides of the implant are then fed through the side tunnels back into the jaw angle area. The flexibility of the implant permits such a placement technique through the comparatively small incisions.
The ability to thread a custom wrap around jawline implant from front to back depends the size of the jaw angle portions. If the back portion of the implant is fairly big, trying to pass it through a subperiosteal tunnel below the mental nerve risks a stretch or tear injury to it. In these implant sizes it is better to split it in the middle and thread it from back to front. The smaller chin portion is safer to pass under the mental nerves.
Reuniting the split custom wrap around jawline implant in the midline once positioned can be done with sutures or screws. Getting two vertically split midline implant sections perfectly together can be challenging. An alternative strategy is to create an interlocking connection down the midline when the implant is sectioned.
When reuniting these interlocking midline segments, like lenticular puzzle pieces, the precision of the implant design is re-established over the chin.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana