Three-dimensional finite element analysis of the splinted implant prosthesis in a reconstructed mandible

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of the splinted implant prosthesis in areconstructed mandible using three-dimensional finite element analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Threedimensionalfinite element models were generated from a patient's computed tomography data. The patient hadundergone partial resection of the mandible that covered the area from the left canine to the right condyle. Themandible was reconstructed using a fibula bone graft and dental implants. The left mandibular premolars andmolars remained intact. Three types of models were created. The implant-supported prosthesis was splinted andsegmented into two or three pieces. Each of these models was further subcategorized into two situations tocompare the stress distribution around normal teeth and implants. Oblique loading of 300 N was applied onboth sides of the mandible unilaterally. The maximum von Mises stress and displacement of the models wereanalyzed. RESULTS. The stress distribution of the natural mandible was more uniform than that of thereconstructed fibula. When the loading was applied to the implant prosthesis of reconstructed fibula, stress wasconcentrated at the cortical bone around the neck of the implants. The three-piece prosthesis model showed lessuniform stress distribution compared to the others. Displacement of the components was positively correlatedwith the distance from areas of muscle attachment. The three-piece prosthesis model showed the greatestdisplacement. CONCLUSION. The splinted implant prosthesis showed a more favorable stress distribution andless displacement than the separated models in the reconstructed mandible.