High resolution solid-state 29Si NMR spectroscopy of silicone gels used to fill breast prostheses.

We have used 29Si solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to study the chemical structure of the silicone gels in virgin and explanted breast prostheses. Despite evidences of alteration in the morphological appearance of the silicone gel inside the breast prosthesis, our results do not reveal changes in the chemical nature and structure of the silicone gels after implantation. In addition to the main 29Si resonance peak at -22.

Magnetic resonance study of virgin and explanted silicone breast prostheses. Can proton relaxation times be used to monitor their biostability?

The development of sensitive and non invasive magnetic resonance (MR) techniques for monitoring the fate of silicones in breast prostheses in vivo requires detailed knowledge of the MR properties of these silicones. To characterize changes in the proton dynamics, relaxation time measurements (T1 and T2) were obtained on virgin and explanted breast prostheses using both spectroscopic and imaging techniques in a magnetic field of 1.5 Tesla.