ArticleAesthetic plastic surgery2026
Longitudinal Assessment of Masseter Muscle Elasticity Changes After BoNT-A Injection Using Ultrasound Elastography: A Prospective Self-Controlled Study.
Article in Aesthetic plastic surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Comparing Punch Excision Combined with Triamcinolone Acetonide and 5-Fluorouracil Injection and Manual Fractional Technology Combined with Triamcinolone Acetonide and 5-Fluorouracil Injection in Keloids: A Single-Blinded Randomized Clinical Trial.Aesthetic plastic surgery · 2026Trial
- Redistribution of Gaze Patterns in Facial Localized Scleroderma Following Autologous Fat Transfer: An Eye-Tracking Study.Aesthetic plastic surgery · 2026Observational
- Multimodal machine learning to predict response to ultrasound-guided botulinum and vibration therapy in muscle spasticity a clinical and imaging correlation study.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBotulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT-A) is widely used to treat masseter hypertrophy, but its long-term structural effects remain unclear. While animal studies suggest reversible and irreversible remodeling, human data on microstructural changes are limited. Ultrasound elastography (USE) offers a non-invasive method to quantitatively assess muscle elasticity and detect fibrosis risk.
methodsA prospective self-controlled trial enrolled 14 subjects (28 masseter muscles) aged 21-27 years. Masseter thickness and standardized USE measurements (shear wave velocity, V median) were performed at baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months post-injection. Statistical analysis included paired t-tests and Spearman correlation.
resultsMasseter thickness decreased significantly by 28.9-31.5% at 1-3 months (p ≤ 0.05), with partial recovery (47.4%) by 6 months. V median (elasticity) declined at 1-3 months (2.53 ± 0.46 m/s to 2.10 ± 0.45 m/s, p ≤ 0.05), but returned to baseline by 6 months (2.70 ± 0.68 m/s, p > 0.05), indicating reversible structural adaptation. Thickness and elasticity changes were uncorrelated, suggesting distinct recovery mechanism.
conclusionBoNT-A induces transient masseter atrophy and elasticity reduction, with full elastic recovery by 6 months despite incomplete volume restoration. USE effectively tracks reversible microstructural remodeling, distinguishing atrophy from fibrosis. These findings support USE as a tool for optimizing injection timing and monitoring functional recovery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE II: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
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