Quantitative Determination of the Stability of Implant-Bone Interface Using Resonance Frequency Analysis

It is important to have a quantitative method to establish a standard way to measure stability and osseointegration of implants. Among other benefits, these measurements would provide information leading to the prediction of healing time around the implant and the monitoring of the health of the implant’s interface. The dental industry has been looking for non-destructive methods to measure implant integration within the bone. In previous studies, resonance frequency analysis revealed a clear relationship between resonance frequency measurements and stiffness of the implant interface and the effective length of the implant. These studies have examined only one mode of vibration or have suffered from measurement difficulties. Furthermore, no study has evaluated the damping properties of the interface and surrounding tissues. This paper describes the development of an instrument capable of capturing and measuring information to characterize the process of dental implant osseointergration. The parameters needed to measure stability and osseointegration of implants are the stiffness of the implant components (which are a function of their geometry and material composition) and the stiffness and damping properties of the implant-bone interface and surrounding tissues. The instrument developed provides valuable information about the stiffness and damping properties of the implant-bone interface obtained through resonance frequency analysis with torsional, longitudinal and transverse vibration. Experimental, analytical, and finite element analysis results are presented.