MONDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) -- Lip implants that use grafts of muscle and connective tissue from the neck improve patient appearance for at least two years, U.S. researchers report.

The study included 25 patients who underwent lip augmentation with their own sternocleidomastoid (a muscle that runs along the side of the neck) and the connective tissue (fasica) that overlies the muscle.

After an average follow-up of two years, the amount of vermillion (pink tissue) showing increased an average of 20 percent to 24 percent on the upper and lower lip. The average projection of the upper and lower lip increased by an average of 0.9 to 0.99 millimeters.

None of the patients experienced lip contour deformities, head movement limitations, neck pain or nerve injuries, said the researchers at the Aesthetic Surgery Center in Naples, Fla.

The study appears in the March/April issue of the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.

More information

The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons has more about facial cosmetic surgery.