A finite element analysis of a dental implant with a conformal lattice structure: A parametric exploration under occlusal loading

The stiffness mismatch between titanium implants and jawbone is considered a contributing factor to stress shielding and subsequent bone resorption. To explore potential designs for improving mechanical compatibility, this study employed a unit cell-based conformal filling strategy to develop a plate-lattice porous structure for a 5 mm diameter implant (a dimension that may be relevant in low-density bone regions, as justified in the main text). This design method enabled the generation of a porous lattice that precisely conforms to the implant's cylindrical geometry, ensuring structural continuity at the bone-implant interface. Using finite element analysis under the assumption of perfect osseointegration, we evaluated the computational performance of this porous design in reducing the effective elastic modulus and redistributing stress. The simulation results indicated that the conformally designed lattice structure effectively lowered implant stiffness and promoted more uniform stress transfer to the surrounding bone. Preliminary mechanical evaluation showed that the maximum stress under typical loading remained within an acceptable range. This numerical study provides a proof of concept and demonstrates the potential of the conformal filling approach for creating future implant architectures aimed at mitigating stress shielding. However, clinical translation requires further validation through in vitro experiments and more advanced models that account for incomplete osseointegration.