Fabrication and characterization of porous-rooted polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) dental implants

A comparative-agglomeration fabrication technique has been developed to produce polymethylmethacrylate dental implants having a porous coating on the root portion. This process allows control of pore structure enabling ingrowth of either bone or fibrous tissue. The relationships between mechanical properties and pore microstructure have been determined for materials produced by this process. The mechanical properties of the porous coating can be estimated from these relationships.