Development of a new implant primary stability parameter: insertion torque revisited

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials science
• Dental implantology
• Biomechanical engineering

Background:

• Assessing dental implant primary stability is crucial for successful osseointegration.
• Existing methods like Resonance Frequency Analysis (RFA) and insertion torque (IT) have limitations.
• A novel parameter is needed to comprehensively evaluate primary stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce a new parameter, variable torque work (VTW), to quantify primary implant stability.
• Evaluate correlations between VTW and bone density, initial bone-to-implant contact (IBIC), RFA, and peak insertion torque (IT).

Main Methods:

• Utilized three types of bovine bone (I, II, III) with 90 XiVE implants.
• Inserted implants at a calibrated torque of 70 Ncm and 30 rpm.
• Calculated VTW using trapezoidal integration of insertion torque data; recorded RFA and IBIC from histological specimens.

Main Results:

• VTW demonstrated significant positive correlations with bone density (p < .01), IBIC (p < .05), and peak insertion torque (p < .01).
• VTW showed significant positive correlations with IT across all bone types.
• Correlations between VTW and RFA/IBIC varied across different bone types, indicating nuanced relationships.

Conclusions:

• Variable torque work (VTW) appears to be a promising new parameter for measuring dental implant primary stability.
• The findings suggest VTW can provide valuable insights into the biomechanical interface between implants and bone.
• Further in vitro and in vivo studies are warranted to validate VTW's clinical applicability.