Dental implant osseo-integration: a coupled biochemical and biomechanical approach

The aim of the present work pertains to the investigation of the integration process occurring at bone implant interface, with regard to dental implants, considering the different effects induced because of implant surface characteristic, biochemical treatment performed and biomechanical response under functional loading. The reciprocal influence of these factors is estimated, depending on the surface assumed, on the peculiar peptide sequence adopted and on tissue constitutive properties defined within the numerical model for biomechanical analysis. According to the necessity of defining a load bearing capacity of the specific dental implant, the mechanical properties of bone-implant at interface is investigated, by assuming different evolutionary constitutive laws. In particular, the corticalisation process occurring in the lamina dura leads to an anisotropic configuration of bone material. The results show that the integration process must be investigated in the light of the reciprocal contribute of the above mentioned factors, depending on surface characteristic, biochemical treatment and biomechanical functionality. This combined effect represents the basis for reliability evaluation of a dental implant system.