Stress transfer properties of different commercial dental implants: a finite element study

Abstract

Dental implantology has high success rates, and a suitable estimation of how stresses are transferred to the surrounding bone sheds insight into the correct design of implant features. In this study, we estimate stress transfer properties of four commercial implants (GMI, Lifecore, Intri and Avinent) that differ significantly in macroscopic geometry. Detailed three-dimensional finite element models were adopted to analyse the behaviour of the bone-implant system depending on the geometry of the implant (two different diameters) and the bone–implant interface condition. Occlusal static forces were applied and their effects on the bone, implant and bone–implant interface were evaluated. Large diameters avoided overload-induced bone resorption. Higher stresses were obtained with a debonded bone–implant interface. Relative micromotions at the bone–implant interface were within the limits required to achieve a good osseointegration. We anticipate that the methodology proposed may be a useful tool for a quantitative and qualitative comparison between different commercial dental implants.

Keywords:

• finite element analysis
• dental implant
• bone–implant interface
• geometry
• stress transfer

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the research support of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology through the Research Project DPI2008-02335, the Carlos III Health Institute (CIBER-BBN) and the Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A) for their graduate research fellowship program. Special acknowledgments are be made to Avinent Implant system company, Ilerimplant, Lifecore and Intri. All the authors of this paper disclose no conflict of interest with previous companies.