Mechanical Influence of Edentulous Mandible Morphology on Peri-implant Bone in Implant Prosthetics: 3D Finite Element Analysis.

This article investigates the mechanical influence of edentulous mandible morphology on peri-implant bone stress in implant prosthetics using three-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA). Computed tomography (CT) data from 25 patients with edentulous mandibles were analyzed to measure mandibular height and the radius of anterior mandibular curvature, revealing a significant negative correlation between these parameters. Two 3D finite element models representing mandibles with the smallest and largest curvature radii were created, each with four implants supporting a cantilever prosthesis; vertical loading was applied to simulate masticatory forces. The FEA results showed that mandibles with a larger radius of curvature and shorter height exhibited higher equivalent stresses in the peri-implant bone, particularly at the distal margin posterior to the loading side, suggesting a greater risk of bone resorption. The study concludes that mandibular morphology significantly affects peri-implant bone stress distribution, indicating the need to consider individual mandibular shape when designing implant-supported prostheses.