Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene

Synthetic implants are usually made from expanded ePTFE, a nonreactive, nontoxic polymer that has been safely used in medical implants for many years for vascular grafts and soft tissue reconstruction.Depending on its design (tubular or in sheets) and varying porosities, the implant can feel anywhere from slightly firm to quite soft. Such implants are permanent [29].

In a study comparing the biomechanical effects of ePTFE implant structure on the stability of a soft tissue implant, the authors used an in vivo porcine model to look at implant retention, fixation strength, and removability in both tubular and solid-strip ePTFE implants. They found that tubular implants facilitated growth of soft tissue through the tube’s lumen, which increased the attachment to surrounding soft tissues, increasing fixation strength and decreasing extrusion rate but still allowing easy removal. The authors concluded that these properties might improve clinical applications in facial implantation [29].