Finite Element Assessment of a Novel Patient-Specific Mandibular Implant for Severely Atrophic Ridge

Purpose: Dental reconstruction for patients diagnosed with severe mandibular bone atrophy using common dental implants is a challenging process. In such cases, surgeons may encounter challenges such as insufficient available bone, soft tissue, damage to the inferior alveolar nerve, and even the risk of bone fracture. In this study, a new design concept of mandibular patient-specific implants for severely atrophic ridges followed by finite element evaluation was presented to investigate the mechanical functionality of the concept. Method: The implant is comprised of two modular parts including an inferior border cover and a horseshoe-shaped structure. This horseshoe segment fits into the cover and is then screwed to it using two screws on each side. A 1 mm deflection was applied to a reference point located between the two anterior posts to extract the resulting Von Mises stress distribution in each part and the reaction force on the reference point which corresponds to the chewing force that the patient must apply to deform the horseshoe. This 1 mm gap is a design consideration and critical distance that horseshoe contacts the gingiva and disturbs the alveolar nerve. Results: The results revealed that load was transmitted from the horseshoe to the cover, and there were no stress contours on the body of the mandible. However, stress concentration was observed in screw locations in the mandible, the amount of which was decreased by increasing the number of used screws. In horseshoe, stress concentration values were around 350 MPa, and the measured reaction force on the reference point was just under 200 N. Conclusion: The finite element analysis results showed that this concept would be functional as the minimum load would be transmitted to the mandibular ridge, and since the patients diagnosed with atrophic ridge are not able to apply load to an amount near 200 N, the horseshoe would not contact the gingiva. Also, it is concluded that increasing the number of bone screw fixations would decrease the risk of long-term screw loosening.