Skeletal implants in aesthetic facial surgery

The features of the nose, mentum, and malar complex define a person's profile and give the essence of character to the visage. Whether profile deficiencies are due to congenital, traumatic, or aging factors, facial plastic surgeons are able to meet patients' and their own exacting demands more thoroughly with skeletal implants. Although the search for the perfect implant continues, today's armamentarium of implant materials is vast and, with appropriate selection and attention to technique, facial skeletal implants can be successful in creating change impossible to obtain with soft tissue techniques alone. This article reviews both the biomaterials used in mandibular and malar complex implants and the techniques.