Dental Implants with Tapered Threads for Bone Stress Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional threaded dental implants often cause excessive bone stress, micro-damage, and delayed healing due to suboptimal stress distribution during initial placement and functional loading, leading to potential implant failure.
Innovation Solution
Dental implants with varying diameters and thread types, featuring helical threads with tapered minor diameters, concave and convex sides, and combinations of conventional and undercut thread forms to enhance bone fixation and load sharing under multi-axial and off-loading conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional thread forms are used to maximize primary stability, then mechanical stability during placement is improved, but excessive bone stress and micro-damage occur leading to delayed healing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different thread forms (conventional and undercut) at different locations along the implant body. The conventional thread form engages the distal bone for primary stability, while the undercut thread form engages the proximal bone to reduce stress. This local differentiation allows the implant to provide mechanical stability where needed while protecting bone tissue from excessive stress.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thread form parameter along the length of the implant. By transitioning from conventional thread form to undercut thread form, the stress distribution characteristics are modified. The undercut geometry creates a more favorable stress profile that reduces peak stresses in the bone while maintaining implant stability.
2Strength
If conventional thread shapes are used, then primary stability is achieved, but stress distribution during functional loading is not optimized potentially contributing to implant failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs different thread forms in different regions: conventional threads at the distal end for initial engagement and stability, and undercut threads at the proximal end for optimized stress distribution during loading. This regional differentiation addresses both primary stability and long-term reliability requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant combines two different thread form types (conventional and undercut) into a single composite structure. This composite approach allows the implant to simultaneously exhibit the stability-providing characteristics of conventional threads and the stress-distributing characteristics of undercut threads, thereby improving overall reliability.
3Ease of manufacture
If single thread form is used, then manufacturing is simplified, but bone fixation and load sharing under multi-axial and off-loading conditions are not optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements different thread forms at different locations along the implant to address complex loading conditions. The conventional thread form provides reliable engagement, while the undercut thread form enhances load sharing and bone fixation under multi-axial and off-loading conditions, overcoming the limitations of a uniform thread design.
Data Source
AI summary
A threaded dental implant may include a fastener body defining a longitudinal axis. The fastener body may include a proximal end including an internal pocket configured to receive a dental component and a distal end. The fastener body may further include a helical thread disposed about the fastener body and extending along the longitudinal axis, the helical thread having a major thread diameter, a minor thread diameter, a distal-facing side and a proximal-facing side. The minor thread diameter may be tapered such that the minor thread diameter is smaller at the distal end than at the proximal end and the helical thread may include a first thread form comprising a generally concave side.