Investigation on primary stability of dental implants through considering peri-implant bone damage, caused by small and large deformations: A validated non-linear micro finite element study.

Primary stability of a dental implant is defined as its ability to resist the applied load without showing excessive damage in peri-implant bone, which is a prerequisite for secondary stability, and consequently for implantation success. The main goal of this study was to develop a validated micro-finite element (μFE) approach to assess the primary stability of dental implants in terms of stiffness, stiffness reduction, and irreversible displacement of the bone-implant system, subjected to an increasing step-wise quasi-static compressive loading-unloading test. The μFE models were generated based on the μCT images of bone, taken from extracted bovine tibia trabecular bone samples after drilling and implantation.

Measurement of bone damage caused by quasi-static compressive loading-unloading to explore dental implants stability: Simultaneous use of in-vitro tests, μ-CT images, and digital volume correlation.

Primary stability of dental implants is the initial mechanical engagement of the implant with its adjacent bone. Implantation and the subsequent loading may cause mechanical damage in the peripheral bone, which ultimately reduces the stability of the implant. This study aimed at evaluating primary stability of dental implants through applying stepwise compressive displacement-controlled, loading-unloading cycles to obtain overall stiffness and dissipated energy of the bone-implant structure; and quantifying induced plastic strains in surrounding bone using digital volume correlation (DVC) method, through comparing μCT images in different loading steps.