The Effect of Dimple-Based TMJ Design and Its Biomechanical Effect on Reducing Stress

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders significantly impact orofacial health and quality of life, necessitating effective interventions. This study presents a comprehensive finite element analysis (FEA) focusing on the design and material modifications of temporomandibular joint implants, with the aim of improving their long-term stability and performance. Accurate mandible models extracted from Computational Tomography (CT) scans were used to create three variations of implants, each attached using varying screw configurations ranging from 2 to 5 for each analysis. The variations included implants without dimples, implants with 10% dimples, and implants with 20% dimples. The FEA considered material properties of Titanium and Ti-Nb-Zr alloy for the implants. The FEA results revealed that for 10% dimples models, equivalent stress was reduced by 6.25% with two screws fixation and further decreased by 14.28% with three screws, irrespective of the implant volume, reaffirming the significance of screw fixation. The model secured with three screws exhibited the least amount of stress for both titanium and zirconium alloys and dimple implants showed promise in reducing stress levels, particularly in low bone density conditions. These findings not only underscore the potential advantages of dimple implants in facilitating bone in growth and stability at the bone-implant interface but also highlight the pivotal role of implant dimples in modulating stress levels. The study contributes valuable insights for future advancements in TMJ implantology, offering potential optimizations for implant design and clinical outcomes.