Biomechanical properties in titanium implants with integrated maintenance free shock absorbing elements.

Good functional properties are essential in dental implantology. Bio-kinetic elements are imitating dental resilience. In this study a new kind of implants with maintenance free shock absorbing elements will be introduced and their bio-mechanic properties reported. The mobile implant (SIS Inc., Klagenfurt, Austria) is a self-cutting conical screw implant with an integrated bio-kinetic element. The shock absorber is a central part of the implant and a titanium ring closes the shock absorbing unit within the implant. The resilience of the implant was tested by axial and horizontal loading in a special testing unit. Furthermore, a survival test of the elastic titanium ring in the most exposed cervical part of the implant was performed. The region was examined by electron microscopy after 12 million movements in the axial and horizontal direction. A progressive shock absorption was registered during horizontal and axial movements. The maximum movements were 0.06 mm in the axial and 0.16 mm in the horizontal direction. There were seen no signs of material destruction in the electron microscopic analysis. A maintenance-free bio-kinetic implant with progressive shock absorbing qualities was registered.