What is Mentoplasty (Chin Surgery)? Implants, Sliding Genioplasty, and Profiloplasty
Establishing facial harmony and complementing rhinoplasty, mentoplasty corrects retruded microgenia via biocompatible implants or sliding osseous genioplasty.
Key points
- Profiloplasty Dynamics: Nasal projection is optically linked to chin projection; a retrognathic chin makes a normal nose appear disproportionately prominent.
- Dual Modalities: Alloplastic chin implants (silicone/porous polyethylene) inserted via intraoral routes, or sliding osseous genioplasty for 3D skeletal modifications.
- Inconspicuous Incisions: Executed strictly through the lower labial intraoral sulcus or a discreet submental crease, avoiding noticeable facial scars.
Chin Implants vs Sliding Genioplasty: Comparative Selection
For mild-to-moderate sagittal deficits requiring 4 to 8 mm of horizontal projection, alloplastic implants (anatomical silicone or porous Medpor) are standard, requiring a brief 45-minute procedure under local or general anesthesia. However, when complex multi-dimensional deficiencies exist—such as concurrent vertical elongation, shortening, or severe asymmetry—sliding osseous genioplasty is preferred. Surgeons execute a horizontal osteotomy below the tooth roots, stabilizing the mobilized bony segment with titanium plates without foreign biomaterial.
Synergy with Rhinoplasty: The Profiloplasty Philosophy
In facial aesthetics, the relationship between the nasal tip, lips, and pogonion is governed by cephalometric standards such as Ricketts' E-line. In retrognathic patients, performing rhinoplasty in isolation fails to resolve profile disproportions; even a refined nose appears prominent against a retruded lower jaw. Performing concurrent rhinoplasty and mentoplasty sharpens the cervicomental angle, stretches submental laxity, and establishes harmonic facial proportions.
References
- Guyuron B. Genioplasty: evaluation, technique, and complications. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1993;91(4):618-624.
- Zide BM, McCarthy JG. The mental nerve: an anatomical study and its application in genioplasty. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1989;83(3):413-418.
- Sykes JM, et al. Management of the chin in facial aesthetic surgery. Facial Plast Surg Clin North Am. 2014;22(3):403-415.