Biomechanical Evaluation of Initial Stability of a Root Analogue Implant Design with Drilling Protocol: A 3D Finite Element Analysis

Background: The aim of this study was to biomechanically evaluate the initial stability of a patient-specific root analogue implant (RAI) design with drilling protocol by comparing it to designs without drilling protocol through a 3D finite element analysis (FEA). Methods: A 3D surface model of an RAI for the upper right incisor was constructed. To evaluate the effect of root apex drilling, four modified RAI shapes were designed with the press-fit implantation method: Non-modified, wedge added at root surface, lattice added at root surface, and apex-anchor added at root apex (AA). Each model was subjected to an oblique load of 100 N. To simulate the initial stability of implantation, contact conditions at the implant-bone interface were set to allow for the sliding phenomenon with low friction (frictional coefficient 0.1-0.5). Analysis was performed to evaluate micro-displacements of the implants and peak stress on the surrounding bones. Results: Under all low frictional coefficient conditions, the lowest von Mises stress level on the cortical bone and fewest micro-displacements of the implant were observed in the AA design. Conclusion: In view of these results, the AA design proved superior in reducing the stress concentration on the supporting cortical bone and the micro-displacement of RAI.