A. Dorogoy

Numerical validation of the shear compression specimen. Part I: Quasi-static large strain testing

The shear compression specimen (SCS), which is used for large strain testing, is thoroughly investigated numerically using three-dimensional elastoplastic finite element simulations. In this first part of the study we address quasi-static loading. A bi-linear material model is assumed. We investigate the effect of geometrical parameters, such as gage height and root radius, on the stress and strain distribution and concentration. The analyses show that the stresses and strains are reasonably uniform on a typical gage mid-section, and their average values reflect accurately the prescribed material model. We derive accurate correlations between the averaged von Mises stress and strain and the applied experimental load and displacement. These relations depend on the specimen geometry and the material properties. Numerical results are compared to experimental data, and an excellent agreement is observed. This study confirms the potential of the SCS for large strain testing of material.

Mechanical assessment of grit blasting surface treatments of dental implants.

This paper investigates the influence of surface preparation treatments of dental implants on their potential (mechanical) fatigue failure, with emphasis on grit-blasting. The investigation includes limited fatigue testing of implants, showing the relationship between fatigue life and surface damage condition. Those observations are corroborated by a detailed failure analysis of retrieved fracture dental implants. In both cases, the negative effect of embedded alumina particles related to the grit-blasting process is identified. The study also comprises a numerical simulation part of the grit blasting process that reveals, for a given implant material and particle size, the existence of a velocity threshold, below which the rough surface is obtained without damage, and beyond which the creation of significant surface damage will severely reduce the fatigue life, thus increasing fracture probability. The main outcome of this work is that the overall performance of dental implants comprises, in addition to the biological considerations, mechanical reliability aspects. Fatigue fracture is a central issue, and this study shows that uncontrolled surface roughening grit-blasting treatments can induce significant surface damage which accelerate fatigue fracture under certain conditions, even if those treatments are beneficial to the osseointegration process.

Modeling dental implant insertion

The success of dental implantation is connected with the so-called implant primary stability, a synonym for the implant anchoring inside the bone. The primary stability is related to the applied peak torque to the implant during the insertion process. This work simulates the process of insertion of a typical commercial implant into the jaw bone (mandible) using a 3D dynamic non-linear finite-elements software. The model considers the geometrical and mechanical properties of the implant, the bone-implant friction, and the insertion procedure parameters, namely angular velocity and normal load. The numerical results assess the influence of those parameters on the evolution of the insertion torque and the resulting bone damage. It is found that, within the models assumptions, the angular insertion velocity (up to 120rpm) has little or no effect on the process. The application of a normal load, in addition to the implant rotation, enforces an extrusion process in addition to the screwing one. The respective contribution of the cortical and trabecular bone components to the insertion torque reveals that, despite its significantly lower strength, the trabecular bone has a definite contribution to the insertion process. This work shows that if the various physical, geometrical and mechanical parameters of the bone-implant system are well-defined, the insertion process can be simulated prior to the surgical act, and predict, tailor and contribute to maximize the success of dental implantation in a personalized manner.

The Failure Envelope Concept Applied To The Bone-Dental Implant System

Dental implants interact with the jawbone through their common interface. While the implant is an inert structure, the jawbone is a living one that reacts to mechanical stimuli. Setting aside mechanical failure considerations of the implant, the bone is the main component to be addressed. With most failure criteria being expressed in terms of stress or strain values, their fulfillment can mean structural flow or fracture. However, in addition to those effects, the bony structure is likely to react biologically to the applied loads by dissolution or remodeling, so that additional (strain-based) criteria must be taken into account. While the literature abounds in studies of particular loading configurations, e.g. angle and value of the applied load to the implant, a general study of the admissible implant loads is still missing. This paper introduces the concept of failure envelopes for the dental implant-jawbone system, thereby defining admissible combinations of vertical and lateral loads for various failure criteria of the jawbone. Those envelopes are compared in terms of conservatism, thereby providing a systematic comparison of the various failure criteria and their determination of the admissible loads.

Modelling dental implant extraction by pullout and torque procedures

Dental implants extraction, achieved either by applying torque or pullout force, is used to estimate the bone-implant interfacial strength. A detailed description of the mechanical and physical aspects of the extraction process in the literature is still missing. This paper presents 3D nonlinear dynamic finite element simulations of a commercial implant extraction process from the mandible bone. Emphasis is put on the typical load-displacement and torque-angle relationships for various types of cortical and trabecular bone strengths. The simulations also study of the influence of the osseointegration level on those relationships. This is done by simulating implant extraction right after insertion when interfacial frictional contact exists between the implant and bone, and long after insertion, assuming that the implant is fully bonded to the bone. The model does not include a separate representation and model of the interfacial layer for which available data is limited. The obtained relationships show that the higher the strength of the trabecular bone the higher the peak extraction force, while for application of torque, it is the cortical bone which might dictate the peak torque value. Information on the relative strength contrast of the cortical and trabecular components, as well as the progressive nature of the damage evolution, can be revealed from the obtained relations. It is shown that full osseointegration might multiply the peak and average load values by a factor 3-12 although the calculated work of extraction varies only by a factor of 1.5. From a quantitative point of view, it is suggested that, as an alternative to reporting peak load or torque values, an average value derived from the extraction work be used to better characterize the bone-implant interfacial strength.

Modeling the effect of osseointegration on dental implant pullout and torque removal tests

BACKGROUND Osseointegration of dental implants is a key factor for their success. It can be assessed either by destructive (eg, pullout or torque extraction), or nondestructive methods (eg, resonant frequency analysis). However, as of today there is a scarcity of models that can relate the outcome of destructive tests to the level of osseointegration. PURPOSE To study various percentages of bone to implant bonding (tie) using finite element simulations. While evolutions of the bone mechanical properties are not explicitly taken into account, emphasis is put on the 3-dimensional variable extent of the bone-implant bonding, its statistical distribution, and its influence on the measurable extraction and torque loads, seeking to obtain a quantitative relationship. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed numerical simulations of randomly tied implants and calculated the evolution of the pullout force as well as that of the extraction torque. CONCLUSION Within simplifying assumptions for the osseointegration represented by a tie (as opposed to frictional) constraint, the results of this work indicate that the torque test is more discriminant than the extraction one, while both cannot really discriminate osseointegration levels below a relative variation of 20%.

A Rigid Punch on an Elastic Half-Space Under the Effect of Friction: A Finite Difference Solution

The accuracy of the finite difference technique in solving frictionless and frictional advancing contact problems is investigated by solving the problem of a rigid punch on an elastic halfspace subjected to normal loading. Stick and slip conditions between the elastic and the rigid materials are added to an existing numerical algorithm which was previously used for solving frictionless and frictional stationary and receding contact problems. The numerical additions are first tested by applying them in the solution of receding and stationary contact problems and comparing them to known solutions. The receding contact problem is that of an elastic slab on a rigid half-plane; the stationary contact problem is that of a flat rigid punch on an elastic half-space. In both cases the influence of friction is examined. The results are compared to those of other investigations with very good agreement observed. Once more it is verified that for both receding and stationary contact, load steps are not required for obtaining a solution if the loads are applied monotonically, whether or not there is friction. Next, an advancing contact problem of a round rigid punch on an elastic half-space subjected to normal loading, with and without the influence of friction is investigated. The results for frictionless advancing contact, which are obtained without load steps, are compared to analytical results, namely the Hertz problem; excellent agreement is observed. When friction is present, load steps and iterations for determining the contact area within each load step, are required. Hence, the existing code, in which only iterations to determine the contact zone were employed, was modified to include load steps, together with the above mentioned iterations for each load step. The effect of friction on the stress distribution and contact length is studied. It is found that when stick conditions appear in the contact zone, an increase in the friction coefficient results in an increase in the stick zone size within the contact zone. These results agree well with semianalytical results of another investigation, illustrating the accuracy and capabilities of the finite difference technique for advancing contact.Copyright