Effect of Root Resection Length and Graft Type Used After Apical Resection: A Finite Element Study

Apical resection is a surgical technique that involves removing a tooth's root tip and sealing the apical extent of the root canal system. However, evidence-based information on the biomechanical effects of apically resected tooth determinants is lacking. The aim of the present study was to examine the biomechanical effects of using different graft materials and the effect of different resection quantities on the tooth radix.

Thirty finite element models of mandibular central incisors with 1-cm defects in their apical regions were constructed using SolidWorks software (SolidWorks, Waltham, MA). Resections of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 mm were created at the root tips, and tissue regeneration was simulated in the empty cavity models using the material properties of healed bone, an allograft, a xenograft, and hydroxyapatite to the grafts used to fill the apical sites. A 100-N force was applied to the various groups of teeth in the oblique (45°) direction, and the maximal von Mises stress and displacement values were determined using Ansys, version 16, software (ANSYS, Inc, Canonsburg, PA).

The highest of these values was observed in the 5-mm resected and empty model. Increasing the resection amount caused the stress and displacement to increase. The lowest stress and deformation values were seen in the hydroxyapatite group, followed by the xenograft group and the allograft group.

The results of the present study have shown that grafting into the apical defect provides biomechanical support for resection of the root structure.