(HealthDay)—The gluteus maximus muscle presents atrophy after gluteal augmentation surgery with implants, according to a study published in the March issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Fernando Serra, M.D., from the Pedro Ernesto University Hospital in Rio de Janeiro, and colleagues examined the gluteus maximus function and its variation over a 12-month period after implant insertion in a prospective, controlled, clinical study involving .

The researchers found that after the procedure, the study group presented 6.14 percent muscle atrophy to the left and 6.43 percent muscle atrophy to the right. Muscle strength correlated with differences in hip flexion and adduction test.

"Variations in gluteus maximus muscle strength should not be attributed primarily to the or to the implants," the authors write. "Physiologic and multifactorial variations should also be considered."

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Journal information: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery