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. 2025 Apr;20(2):1016-1026.
doi: 10.1016/j.jds.2024.11.024. Epub 2024 Dec 6.

Optimizing dental implant design: Structure, strength, and bone ingrowth

Affiliations

Optimizing dental implant design: Structure, strength, and bone ingrowth

Jenny Zwei-Chieng Chang et al. J Dent Sci. 2025 Apr.

Abstract

Background/purpose: Replacing missing teeth with implant-supported prostheses is a common practice; however, function-induced early bone loss may exacerbate peri-implantitis. Identifying factors that influence marginal bone loss is crucial. This study used finite element (FE) simulation and in-vitro analysis to evaluate design concepts and their effects on stresses and strains in dental implants and surrounding bone.

Materials and methods: Five implant designs were analyzed: (1) full solid, (2) upper porous, (3) lower porous, (4) lower porous: upper half, and (5) lower porous: lower half. The study included stability measurements, three-dimensional FE modeling, in-vitro mechanical testing, and simulations of long-term bone remodeling.

Results: The full-solid design showed the highest stress tolerance, followed by the lower porous and upper porous designs. Stress concentration was higher with oblique forces. The upper porous design favored bone strain distribution but exhibited permanent deformation beyond 350 N. Lower porous implants demonstrated similar strength to the full solid but superior marginal bone growth.

Conclusion: Within the scope of this study, the following conclusions were drawn: (1) A well-designed porous structure enhances post-implantation bone growth; (2) An upper porous design facilitates bone ingrowth but exhibits reduced strength under stress; (3) Lowering porosity adversely affects bone regeneration.

Keywords: Biological and mechanical study; Dental implant design; Finite element analysis; Porous.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Five implant designs and three-dimensional finite element (FE) analysis models of the implant body and its surrounding bone. A: Five implant designs. Three major types: (1) full solid, (2) upper porous, (3) lower porous, and two subtypes: (4) lower porous: upper half, and (5) lower porous: lower half implants. B: Three-dimensional finite element (FE) analysis models of the implant body and its surrounding bone. (a) The entire three-dimensional FE model, including a sectional view; (b) A cross-sectional diagram of the three-dimensional mesh model. The area delineated by the red line corresponds to the region of interest (ROI). The blue-dotted line outlines the extent of the first three threads (representing the marginal bone area). (c) Simulation of the early bone growth process, encompassing Stages 0–4. The orange region indicates the filled bone during each stage.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The load–deformation curves, periotest values (PTV) of the various implant designs and Failure characteristics of implant assemblies. A: The load–deformation curves and periotest values (PTV) of the various implant designs. The load–deformation curve revealed that the full-solid design exhibited the highest tolerance to stress, followed by lower porous design, with the upper porous design showing the lowest stress tolerance. Regarding periotest values (PTV), all three designs demonstrated excellent stability, with the lower porous design exhibiting the least stability. (N = 11; ∗∗: P < 0.01, ∗∗∗: P < 0.001) B: Failure characteristics of implant assemblies. In the upper porous design, visible permanent deformation became apparent when the applied force exceeded 350 N. Upon disassembly, it was observed that the internal screw under the abutment was crooked. Abbreviations: IQR, interquartile range; P, probability value; SD, standard deviation.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Maximum and average stress distribution in cortical bone (A), cancellous bone (B) and implant body (C). A: Maximum and average stress distribution in cortical bone, encompassing Stages 0–4 and post-surgery (s/p) bone remodeling. (a)–(c) Stress results under vertical loads; (d)–(f) stress results under oblique loads. B: Maximum and average stress distribution in cancellous bone, encompassing Stages 0–4 and post-surgery (s/p) bone remodeling. (a)–(c) Stress results under vertical loads; (d)–(f) stress results under oblique loads. C: Maximum and average stress distribution in implant body, encompassing Stages 0–4 and post-surgery (s/p) bone remodeling. (a)–(c) Stress results under vertical loads; (d)–(f) stress results under oblique loads. Abbreviations: Avg, average; Max, maximum; s/p, post-surgery.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The distribution of healthy and diseased bone for the five implant designs, encompassing Stages 0–4 and post-surgery (s/p) bone remodeling. (a–c) results under vertical loads; (d–f) results under oblique loads.

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