[The attachments of the IMZ system in full denture prosthodontics]

With the aid of a photoelastic model it was possible to visualize the transmission of forces from four different types of attachment (parallel bar, round bar, RS- and O-ring attachment) onto IMZ implants. The parallel bar produced the highest stresses between the implants. By contrast, the round bar mainly transmitted transverse forces. RS- and O-ring attachments transmitted the least forces onto the implants. The retentive power of the attachments has also been measured. The round bar proved to be almost twice as retentive as the RS attachment and nearly three times as retentive as the O-ring.