INTRODUCTION
Oral implants placed in the maxilla, especially the posterior region, have a lower success rate than those placed in the mandible. Poor bone quantity and quality have been suggested as a reason for this differential success rate.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was, therefore, to evaluate stress and strain distributions around loaded implants in the normal and atrophic maxilla by finite-element (FE) analyses.
MATERIAL
FE models of a solitary implant were generated to determine stresses and strains in the bone adjacent to the implant surface under loading conditions.
STUDY DESIGN
Different bony situations and implant lengths were used in a FE model. Static loads were applied axially and the resulting stresses and strains calculated.
RESULTS
Bone quality and quantity play a major role in decreasing bone strains adjacent to the implant surface under loading. It was found that stresses were more homogeneously distributed when more spongy bone was present. Decreased bone height was found to have less pronounced effects on strain and stress alterations than poor bone quality. Atrophic bony dimensions in combination with poor bone quality were associated with surface strains exceeding physiological levels (> 6,000 microstrains).
CONCLUSION
Our investigation indicates that supraphysiological bone strains adjacent to the implant surface should be expected under mechanical loading in the atrophic maxilla.