Investigating the effect of abutment–implant connection type on abutment screw loosening in a dental implant system using finite element method

Abstract

Background. The most common problem associated with dental implants is the abutment screw loosening. This research aimed to investigate the effect of the type of connection on screw loosening, using a finite element method (FEM). Methods. Periosave system and different types of the implant–abutment connection were used for modeling. After being measured, CAD files were modeled using CATIA software and imported to the ANSYS analysis software, and the model was loaded. Results. A force of 100 N was applied at 0.1 second, and no force was applied at 0.42 second. The screw head deformation at 0.1 and 0.42 seconds was 8 and 3.8 μm, and 7.6 and 2.8 μm at morse taper and octagon dental implant connections, respectively. The displacement rate of the internal surface of the abutment at 0.1 and 0.42 seconds was 10.7 and 8.4 μm, and 5.7 and 5.6 µm in the octagon and morse taper dental implant connections, respectively. The displacement of the implant suprastructure–abutment interface from the screw head at 0.1 and 0.42 seconds was 9 and 7 μm, and 7 and 6 μm in the morse taper and octagon dental implant connections, respectively. At intervals of 0 to 0.1 seconds and 0.6 to 0.8 seconds, the octagon connection was separated at the maximum screw head displacement and the internal part of the abutment, but the morse taper connection did not exhibit any separation. In the above time intervals, the results were similar to the maximum state in case of the minimum displacement of the screw head and the internal part of the abutment. Conclusion. Screw loosening is less likely to occur in the morse hex connection compared to the octagon connection due to the lack of separation of the screw from the internal surface of the abutment.

Keywords: Finite element method, implant-abutment connection, micro motion, stress distribution