2012 Volume 35 Issue 2 Pages 66-70
Facial implants installed in the auricular portion show a high survival rate, but shorter longevity in the orbital portion was reported in some papers. On the other hand, the outer plate of the cortical bone of the temporal bone is thicker than that of the bone around the orbital portion. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of the outer plate thickness on the stress distribution around facial implants using 3D finite element analysis.
Two kinds of 3D finite element models consisting of a cylindrical bone portion and the facial implants with abutments were constructed. The thickness of the outer plate of the cortical bone was 3.6 mm in model T, and 2.0 mm in model O. A static load of 10 N was applied on the upper surface of the abutment.
Maximum values of von Mises stress increased as the load direction inclined, and those in model O were larger than those in model T under the same loading conditions. These results suggest that flange implants should be installed in the bone with a thick outer plate of cortical bone, and the load on the implants should be as parallel to the long axis of the implant as possible.
