TY - JOUR
T1 - Objective clinical assessment of posture patterns after implant breast augmentation
AU - Nicoletti, Giovanni
AU - Mandrini, Silvia
AU - Finotti, Valentina
AU - Dall'angelo, Anna
AU - Malovini, Alberto
AU - Chierico, Simona
AU - Faga, Angela
AU - Dalla Toffola, Elena
PY - 2015/8/31
Y1 - 2015/8/31
N2 - Background: An increased weight of the breasts causes several spinal postural alterations that reduce the ability to perform dynamic tasks requiring a stable balance. The effects of the increased weight of the breasts on static posture after implant breast augmentation have not been investigated yet. Methods: Forty volunteer healthy women were asked to wear different sized breast implants (800, 400, and 300 g) inside a dedicated sports bra for 6 1/2 consecutive hours during their everyday life activities, 1 day for every implant size. Posture changes were assessed with the association of a physiatric clinical examination with a static force platform analysis. Results: A significant increase in cervical lordosis after the use of 400-g breast implants and upward was demonstrated. This alteration was stable between the 400-g and 800-g breast implants. The 400-g (per breast) implant might therefore be the load threshold that breaks the cervical postural physiologic balance. A significant increase in lumbar lordosis was demonstrated only after the use of the 800-g breast implants. The static force platform assessment demonstrated a worsening of the balance independent from the visual control with the use of 400-g and 800-g implants. Conclusions: Heavy breast implants proved to induce reversible alterations in the spinal curve, and 400 g is the cutoff for functional physiologic compensation in the short term. Such a weight might be considered the safety limit for the use of breast implants for cosmetic purposes.
AB - Background: An increased weight of the breasts causes several spinal postural alterations that reduce the ability to perform dynamic tasks requiring a stable balance. The effects of the increased weight of the breasts on static posture after implant breast augmentation have not been investigated yet. Methods: Forty volunteer healthy women were asked to wear different sized breast implants (800, 400, and 300 g) inside a dedicated sports bra for 6 1/2 consecutive hours during their everyday life activities, 1 day for every implant size. Posture changes were assessed with the association of a physiatric clinical examination with a static force platform analysis. Results: A significant increase in cervical lordosis after the use of 400-g breast implants and upward was demonstrated. This alteration was stable between the 400-g and 800-g breast implants. The 400-g (per breast) implant might therefore be the load threshold that breaks the cervical postural physiologic balance. A significant increase in lumbar lordosis was demonstrated only after the use of the 800-g breast implants. The static force platform assessment demonstrated a worsening of the balance independent from the visual control with the use of 400-g and 800-g implants. Conclusions: Heavy breast implants proved to induce reversible alterations in the spinal curve, and 400 g is the cutoff for functional physiologic compensation in the short term. Such a weight might be considered the safety limit for the use of breast implants for cosmetic purposes.
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U2 - 10.1097/PRS.0000000000001454
DO - 10.1097/PRS.0000000000001454
M3 - Article
C2 - 26218390
AN - SCOPUS:84938355176
VL - 136
SP - 162e-170e
JO - Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
JF - Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
SN - 0032-1052
IS - 2
ER -