Photoelastic Analysis of Stress Distribution Transmitted From a Fixed Prosthesis Attached to Osseointegrated Implants

A photoelastic analysis was made to evaluate the stress patterns generated around implants with passive and nonpassive fitting frameworks. Five Brånemark implants were placed on a photoelastic analog of a human mandible. The frameworks were analyzed by photographing the stress fringes that were generated when the framework was tightened with gold screws to a torque of 10 Ncm on the abutments. The tightening of the nonpassive framework demonstrated significant stress buildup around the implants, whereas the sectioned and soldered passive framework showed no stress fringes around the implants after being tightened to the abutments. Parole chiave: fixed implant prosthesis, passivity, photoelastic analysis