The Effect of Cantilevered Bar Length on Strain Around Two Implants Supporting a Mandibular Overdenture

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of cantilevered bar length on strain produced around two implants supporting a mandibular overdenture. Materials and Methods: Two root-form implants were placed bilaterally in the canine region of an edentulous acrylic resin mandibular cast and connected with a resilient bar/clip attachment. Four linear strain gauges were bonded to the acrylic resin at the mesial and distal surfaces of each implant. Each gauge was wired separately into a 1/4 Wheatstone bridge of a multichannel digital bridge amplifier. Strains were measured without cantilevered bar extensions (control group) and with the following lengths of cantilevered bars: 11 mm (group 1), 9 mm (group 2), and 7 mm (group 3). For each cantilevered bar length, strains were measured using clips placed on the cantilevers and attached to the overdenture (bar-clip contact) and without clips (bar-acrylic resin contact). Strain measurements were performed under central and unilateral loading using a loading device. Results: The bar with cantilevers (either with or without clips) demonstrated a significant increase in strain compared to the bar without cantilevers. The 11-mm cantilever length generated the highest peri-implant strain values, while the 7-mm length recorded the lowest. For all cantilevered bar lengths, the strains significantly decreased with bar-clip contact compared to bar-acrylic resin contact. Under central loading, distal and mesial peri-implant strains were the highest and the lowest values, respectively, while under unilateral loading, the highest strain was recorded at distal sites of the loading side and the lowest was recorded at distal sites of the nonloading side. A positive correlation was found between the recorded strain and the cantilevered bar length. Conclusion: The 7-mm cantilevered bar with clips placed on the cantilevers was recommended when two implants were used to support mandibular overdentures, as it demonstrated the lowest magnitude of strains with no significant differences between periimplant sites.