Bite Force Analysis Using Numerical Simulation with Different Prosthesis Anchorages

Implant-supported prosthetic rehabilitation is widely used to restore function in edentulous patients. Although most implant finite element studies prescribe occlusal forces as input loads and evaluate the resulting stresses, the effect of implant-supported rehabilitation on bite-force distribution remains insufficiently characterized. This study evaluated how three clinically relevant implant-supported rehabilitation configurations modify occlusal force distribution relative to the physiological reference pattern.

A three-dimensional finite element model of the head and neck, calibrated for physiological symmetric bite conditions, was developed using high-resolution anatomical reconstructions of the maxilla, mandible, zygomatic bones, and dentition. Three clinical configurations were analyzed: three conventional implants, one conventional plus one zygomatic implant, and two zygomatic implants. The model was calibrated to reproduce a total physiological occlusal force of 220.7 N, and the resulting force distribution was compared with published data for intact dentition.

All implant-supported configurations altered the physiological occlusal force pattern, concentrating between 71% and 78% of the total bite force on the first molars adjacent to the posterior implants (46-36). In contrast, the three implant configurations showed only minor differences in overall stress distribution in the maxillary and zygomatic bones.

Implant-supported rehabilitation substantially modified the physiological bite-force distribution in all three simulated configurations, whereas only limited differences in the overall bone stress pattern were observed among the configurations. These differences should be interpreted at the configuration level, since the present study cannot separate the independent effects of implant number, position, and type design. In contrast, conventional or zygomatic implants have.