[Analysis of bone-implant stress distribution. Finite element modeling]

A two-dimensional finite element partial mandibular model allows a first comparison between two types of titanium cylindrical implants, one full, the other hollow. The study cases correspond to a distal edentulous rehabilitated with a three-unit bridge supported mesially by a healthy second premolar and distally by one of the two concerned implants. The model includes the mandible from the canine region to the condyle, and allow to investigate the interactions between implants and bone tissue, under a normal biting load (100 N) distributed over the different teeth of the model. On a general way, the highest stresses magnitudes are in the implants, so there are no pathologic actions in bone, even if the distal cervical region of the implants are more stressed than any place else of the alveolar bone. It is well known that bone resorptions are often found in that region. Furthermore the bone trunk of the hollow implant is no more stressed than the rest of the mandibular, that is good for bone affixing. The outcome of this work, over the first results exposed, is that it gives the opportunity to understand the complexity of such a problem.