Evaluation of Stress and Fatigue on Different Implant Lengths in the Rehabilitation of Atrophic Mandibles with Full-Arch Fixed Prosthesis Using Finite Element Method.

Abstract

This research aimed to evaluate the stress and fatigue generated in short implants compared to regular implants in rehabilitation with fixed full-arch implant-supported prostheses in atrophic mandibles using the finite element method (FEM). Four models were constructed with different implants lengths: 4, 6, 8, and 10 mm. A 100-N oblique load was applied to evaluate the stress on the bone, implant, and prosthetic components. Similar behavior was observed for all groups, except for 4 mm, which showed more discrepant values. During the fatigue test, all the groups exhibited infinite lives except G4. Based on the similarity of all the models, it is suggested that all short implants investigated are seemingly viable alternatives for the rehabilitation of atrophic mandibles. However, the 6-mm-long and 8-mm-long implants evinced more favorable mechanical behavior than the 4-mm-long type.