Porous structure design and mechanical behavior analysis based on TPMS for customized root analogue implant

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Traditional screw-type dental implants can cause stress shielding due to high Young's modulus, hindering osseointegration.
• Solid titanium alloy implants impede osteoblast growth and can lead to implant failure.
• Customized root analogue implants (RAIs) offer better fit but require optimized mechanical properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and optimize porous root analogue implants (RAIs) using triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structures.
• To evaluate the mechanical properties and osseointegration potential of TPMS-based RAIs.
• To mitigate stress shielding and enhance bone tissue integration in dental implants.

Main Methods:

• Designed P and G triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structures with varying porosities (30-60%).
• Fabricated cubic samples and conducted compression experiments to measure Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, and yield strength.
• Utilized finite element analysis (FEA) to assess stress distribution at the implant-bone interface.

Main Results:

• TPMS structures exhibited quantitative relationships between mechanical properties and porosity consistent with percolation models.
• Yield strengths of P and G structures exceeded cortical bone, meeting implantation requirements.
• RAIs with 30% and 40% porosity showed no stress shielding, promoted bone growth, and ensured stable osseointegration.

Conclusions:

• Porous RAIs constructed with TPMS effectively reduce stress shielding compared to solid implants.
• TPMS-based porous structures enhance osteoblast growth and facilitate long-term osseointegration.
• This optimized porous RAI design accelerates the clinical implantation process and improves implant success rates.