Study: Silicone Breast Implants Do Not Cause Rheumatoid Arthritis

Silicone breast implants do not appear to cause or affect rheumatoid arthritis, according to the results of a study published in Rheumatology.

German researchers reported that of 90 women given MRIs, 24 patients (26.6 percent) were found to have implant defects, with silicone detected in the liver of 13 (54.2 percent) women. In the 66 women where an MRI showed intact implants, 15 (22.7 percent) had apparent silicone in their liver as well.

Two patients had rheumatoid arthritis before receiving breast implants, but other patients had no typical symptoms of arthritis or other connective tissue disease.

And with the exception of tingling and numbness of the fingers, there were "no statistically significant differences in their complaints" in women where silicone was found in the liver.

"This finding supports the standpoint that silicone does not cause either a specific (connective tissue disease) or any other distinct disease entity," the researchers concluded.

Other sources:Rheumatology