Compressive and cyclic loading of silicone breast implants and their effect on shape resilience and reliability of the shell material

The mechanical behavior of gel‐filled silicone breast implants has been examined as well as the mechanical properties of the implant shell itself. For the first time the implants were tested under compression in two different ways. Subsequently the implant shell material was analyzed by tensile test on dumbbell‐shaped specimens. The results are presented in contour plots which provide a detailed view of the measured values of the samples. Finally a statistical failure analysis was carried out by means of a Weibull fit to provide further data on the mechanical behavior. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry The mechanical behavior of silicone breast implants under compressive load was examined. Subsequently, the implant shell was analyzed by tensile test and the results are presented in contour plots.