Voxel-based micro-finite element analysis of dental implants in a human cadaveric mandible: Tissue modulus assignment and sensitivity analyses

The success of dental implant treatment is related to the complex 3-dimensional (3D) biomechanics of the implant-bone interaction. In this work, 3D numerical models are built based on micro X-ray computed tomography (micro-CT) images of a cadaveric mandible specimen with implants placed in it. The simulation results show that the computed strain values in bone are sensitive to the uncertainties in trabecular tissue modulus and fairly insensitive to the modulus of implants and teeth and the detailed geometry of the fixed boundary condition. A bone-volume-fraction (BV/TV) based method is proposed to assign the tissue moduli of bone elements based on their BV/TV to increase the connectivity of the mesh and to improve the accuracy of the models. These models are potentially powerful for calculating the 3D full-field bone strain under implant loading, enabling in silico testing of different implant designs, but demand validation of the models. The computed results reveal high strain concentration at bone-implant contact areas and, more importantly, in the buccal (lip-side) bone that is not making contact with the implant. The computed strain concentration patterns are found to be in good agreement with the observations from our prior experiments using 3D full-field mechanical testing coupled with micro-CT and digital volume correlation. The buccal bone is thinner and less stiff than other areas of bone and is also the commonly observed area of bone resorption after dental implant treatment.