ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the feasibility of Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP)/silicone composite automatic expanded material as implants.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The PVPP hydrogel was mixed with silicone through the location at the high temperature. Implants with different ratio of PVPP to silicone were placed under the back and nose skin in 24 New Zealand rabbits. The surrounding tissue reaction, material and skin expansion were observed and compared with those with pure silicone implants.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The study lasted for 200 days. Compared with pure silicone implants, the composite material could expand automatically and stop expanding at about 2 weeks after implantation. Histological study showed similar inflectional and foreign body reaction around the composite material and the pure silicone.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Compared with pure silicone, the PVPP/silicone composite implant has the advantage of automatic expansion, so as to expand the soft tissue.</p>