Computer Aided Biomodeling and Analysis of Patient Specific Porous Titanium Mandibular Implants

Abstract

Custom implants for the reconstruction of mandibular defects have recently gained importance due to their better performance over their generic counterparts. This is attributed to their precise adaptation to the region of implantation, reduced surgical times, and better cosmesis. Recent introduction of direct digital manufacturing technologies, which enable the fabrication of implants from patient specific data, has opened up a new horizon for the next generation of customized maxillofacial implants. In this article, we discuss a representative volume element based technique in which precisely defined porous implants with customized stiffness values are designed to match the stiffness and weight characteristics of surrounding healthy bone tissue. Dental abutment structures have been incorporated into the mandibular implant. Finite element analysis is used to assess the performance of the implant under masticatory loads. This design strategy lends itself very well to rapid manufacturing technologies based on metal sintering processes.