Analysis of bone-implant interaction phenomena by using a numerical approach

Objectives: The purpose of the present work is to investigate the interaction phenomena occurring between endosseus dental implants and peri-implant bone tissue. Material and methods: Detailed finite element models are adopted in order to analyze the actual behavior of bone-implant system depending on implant and anatomical site configuration and loading conditions. Different types of titanium dental implants are considered. Implant finite element models are obtained through a reverse engineering procedure and adopting specific software for the reconstruction of geometrical configuration. Anatomical sites are modeled starting from computerized tomography data, according to specific image processing procedures. Results: Occlusal static forces are applied to the implants and their effects on the bone-implant interface region are evaluated. The influence of several parameters, such as morphometry of anatomical site or loading condition, on the biomechanical response of bone-implant system is considered. Conclusions: The evaluation of the biomechanical response of implant-bone compound necessarily requires the adoption of accurate numerical models, accounting for the complex geometry of threaded implants, as well as of the anatomy of the patients to be able to provide for reliable results pertaining to stress/strain path on peri-implant bone tissue.