Artecoll
Encyclopedia
Artecoll, used in cosmetic plastic surgery
as permanent soft tissue filler, is injected under the skin to plump up wrinkles and reduce folds of skin associated with aging such as the nasolabial fold which runs from the corner of the nose to the edges of the mouth. Artecoll has been used in Europe for many years. Artecoll is not approved by the FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is not available legally in the United States. A next generation product Artefill was approved by the FDA in December, 2006, to treat nasolabial folds with the added condition that a five-year follow up study of patients using must be done.
, one of the most abundant substances in all mammals. The thinning of collagen in human faces is responsible for aging, wrinkles and lines on the face.
Artecoll consists of 25 percent microscopic Plexiglas plastic beads made of a substance known as polymethylmethacrylate suspended in a solution of 75 percent bovine collagen. The microspheres are 32–40 micrometers
in diameter (500 micrometers could fit in the period at the end of this sentence).
, the heavy wrinkles between the eyebrows, in the corner-of-the-mouth lines, in upper lips and in the nasolabial folds. A similar group of patients received injections of ordinary collagen (with the trade name Zyplast) in the same places in their faces.
Researchers then studied the patients' improved appearance and the reactions of research subjects to the injections. At the six-month follow up, the researchers found the Artecoll group showed 86.7 percent better augmentation of loose skin than the group which received only collagen. Adverse reactions to collagen and to Artecoll among both groups of patients was reported as about equal.
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
as permanent soft tissue filler, is injected under the skin to plump up wrinkles and reduce folds of skin associated with aging such as the nasolabial fold which runs from the corner of the nose to the edges of the mouth. Artecoll has been used in Europe for many years. Artecoll is not approved by the FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is not available legally in the United States. A next generation product Artefill was approved by the FDA in December, 2006, to treat nasolabial folds with the added condition that a five-year follow up study of patients using must be done.
Composition
Artecoll is mostly collagenCollagen
Collagen is a group of naturally occurring proteins found in animals, especially in the flesh and connective tissues of mammals. It is the main component of connective tissue, and is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up about 25% to 35% of the whole-body protein content...
, one of the most abundant substances in all mammals. The thinning of collagen in human faces is responsible for aging, wrinkles and lines on the face.
Artecoll consists of 25 percent microscopic Plexiglas plastic beads made of a substance known as polymethylmethacrylate suspended in a solution of 75 percent bovine collagen. The microspheres are 32–40 micrometers
Micrometre
A micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...
in diameter (500 micrometers could fit in the period at the end of this sentence).
Potential risks and side effects
Some researchers have found that large lumps under the skin known as granulomas developed after Artecoll injections. The lumps are a reaction to the injections and can be difficult for doctors to treat.U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval
Before Artefill was approved by the U.S. FDA, it was studied in 251 subjects at eight medical centers in the United States. The subjects received injections in 1334 wrinkles of the glabellaGlabella
The glabella, in humans, is the space between the eyebrows and above the nose. It is slightly elevated, and joins the two superciliary ridges.-Etymology:The term is derived from the Latin glabellus, meaning smooth, as this area is usually hairless....
, the heavy wrinkles between the eyebrows, in the corner-of-the-mouth lines, in upper lips and in the nasolabial folds. A similar group of patients received injections of ordinary collagen (with the trade name Zyplast) in the same places in their faces.
Researchers then studied the patients' improved appearance and the reactions of research subjects to the injections. At the six-month follow up, the researchers found the Artecoll group showed 86.7 percent better augmentation of loose skin than the group which received only collagen. Adverse reactions to collagen and to Artecoll among both groups of patients was reported as about equal.