Influence of Connection Type and Platform Diameter on Titanium Dental Implants Fatigue: Non-Axial Loading Cyclic Test Analysis

Abstract

Two-pieces dental implants must provide stability of the implant-abutment-interface. The connection type and platform diameter could influence the biomechanical resistance and stress distribution. This study aims to evaluate the fatigue for different types of connections, external and internal, and different platform diameters. Three implant designs with the same length were used: (a) external hexagon/narrow platform; (b) internal double hexagon/narrow platform; (c) internal octagon/regular platform. A fatigue test was developed to establish the number of cycles needed before fracture. A 30º oblique load with a sinusoidal function of fatigue at a frequency of 15 Hz and 10% stress variation was applied to each system. The fatigue load limit (FLL) for design (a) was 190 N, being the nominal-curvature-moment (NCM) = 1.045; FLL = 150 N, with a NCM = 0.825 for (b), and FLL = 325 N, with a NCM = 1.788 for (c). The platform diameter affects the FLL, obtaining lower FLL on a narrow platform. The connection type interferes with the implant walls’ width, especially in narrow implants, making internal connections more unstable at this level. Long-term clinical studies to assess the restoration’s success rate and survival are mandatory.