Silicones soft tissue response

Flint PW, Corio RL, Cummings CW. Comparison of soft tissue response in rabbits following laryngeal implantation with hydroxylapatite, silicone rubber, and Teflon. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 1997 106(5) 399-407. 

Soft tissue augmentation using liquid silicone, which was initially thought to be inert, provoking little local or no systemic response, has increased and various adverse reactions have been reported, in some cases months or even years after initial exposure. For example, male-to-female transsexual patient who had received liquid silicon hip injections for cosmetic augmentation developed silicon-induced granulomas causing hypercalcemia and subsequent renal failure years after the injection [64 ]. 

With single-piece silicone implants for the finger and wrist, the stems of the implant are free to move and therefore silicone wear debris is generated as the silicone abrades against the bone. These silicone wear particles can cause an inflammatory response that results in pain, joint stiffness, loss of joint motion and soft tissue swelling (Shepherd, 2002 Shepherd and Johnstone, 2002). 

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