Studies on Frameworks for Osseointegrated Prostheses: Part 1. The Effect of Varying the Number of Supporting Abutments

A scientific basis for the design of prosthetic superstructures supported by osseointegrated implants has been largely lacking. Extensive clinical use and success with empirical designs and materials has provided the scope for analyzing stresses within a framework supported by varying numbers of implant abutments. In this preliminary report, finite element analysis was used to look at displacement and stress distribution within an osseointegrated framework. Keywords: finite element analysis, osseointegration, prosthetic framework