Long-term silicone implant arthroplasty. Implications of animal and human autopsy findings.

An examination of host tissue response to implanted material has been conducted as part of a comprehensive research program to study low-modulus of elasticity silicone implants for small-joint arthroplasty. This was performed on animals and in a long-term human clinical evaluation. Autopsy material on three dogs was obtained more than ten years after silicone implants were placed in their limbs, and in one human arthritic patient it was obtained 12 years after hand reconstruction with implants. The benign nature of the tissue reaction to the implant material is noted. It is compared with other implant materials and discussed in terms of host tissue reactions that may occur in joint replacement procedures.