The initial stability of a dental implant is known to be an indicator of osseointegration at immediate loading upon insertion. Implant designs have a fundamental role in the initial stability. Although new designs with advanced surface technology have been suggested for the initial stability of implant systems, verification is not simple because of various assessment factors. Our study focused on comparing the initial stability between two different implant systems via design aspects. A simulated model corresponding to the first molar derived from the mandibular bone was constructed. Biomechanical characteristics between the two models were compared by finite element analysis (FEA). Mechanical testing was also performed to derive the maximum loads for the two implant systems. CMI IS-III active (IS-III) had a more desirable stress distribution than CMI IS-II active (IS-II) in the surrounding bone region. Moreover, IS-III decreased the stress transfer to the nerve under the axial loading direction more than IS-II. Changes of implant design did not affect the maximum load. Our analyses suggest that the optimized design (IS-III), which has a bigger bone volume without loss of initial fixation, may minimize the bone damage during fixture insertion and we expect greater effectiveness in older patients.
Keywords: biomechanics; dental implants; dental nerve; finite element analysis; implant design; primary stability.