Dental Implants Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Dental Implants, including details on dentistry, surgery, tooth implants.

Mechanical basis for bone retention around dental implants.

Alexander H, Ricci JL, Hrico GJ

Orthogen Corporation, 505 Morris Avenue, Suite 104, Springfield, New Jersey 07081.

This study, analytically, through finite element analysis, predicts the minimization of crestal bone stress resulting from implant collar surface treatment. A tapered dental implant design with (LL) and without (control, C) laser microgrooving surface treatment are evaluated. The LL implant has the same tapered body design and thread surface treatment as the C implant, but has a 2-mm wide collar that has been laser micromachined with 8 and 12 mum grooves in the lower 1.5 mm to enhance tissue attachment. In vivo animal and human studies previously demonstrated decreased crestal bone loss with the LL implant. Axial and side loading with two different collar/bone interfaces (nonbonded and bonded, to simulate the C and LL surfaces, respectively) are considered. For 80 N side load, the maximum crestal bone distortional stress around C is 91.9 MPa, while the maximum crestal bone stress around LL, 22.6 MPa, is significantly lower. Finite element analysis suggests that stress overload may be responsible for the loss of crestal bone. Attaching bone to the collar with LL is predicted to diminish this effect, benefiting crestal bone retention. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 2007.

Published 24 April 2007 in J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater.
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