Definition:
A dense yet porous biocompatible material used to make surgical implants commonly used in facial reconstructive surgery, as well as cosmetic surgery (i.e., cheek, chin, and jaw implants). The material’s main component is polyethylene.
Medpor is preferred by some plastic surgeons for facial implants because it is firm enough to be carved and shaped with a sharp instrument, yet its porosity allows the patient’s natural tissue to grow into it, thereby fixing it in place. Medpor is intended to mimic cartilage and bone by serving as an architectural framework to support or “fill out” a patient's overlying soft tissues.