Prediction of dental implant torque with a fast and automatic finite element analysis: a pilot study

Objectives. Despite its importance, implant removal torque can be assessed at present only after implantation. This paper presents a new technique to help clinicians preoperatively evaluate implant stability. Study design. Planning software has been combined with an in-house finite element solver. Once the clinician has chosen the implant position on the planner, a finite element analysis automatically calculates the primary stability. The process was designed to be as simple and fast as possible for clinical use. This paper describes application of the method to the prediction of removal torque. A preliminary validation has been performed in both polyurethane foam and sheep bone. Results. The predicted torque is quantitatively equivalent to experimental values with correlation coefficients of > 0.7 in both materials. Conclusions. This preliminary study is a first step toward the introduction of finite element models in computer-assisted surgery. The fact that the process is fast and automatic makes it suitable for a clinical use. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2010; 109: 594-603)