Examination of local variations in viscous, elastic, and plastic indentation responses in healing bone.

A viscous-elastic-plastic indentation model was used to assess the local variability of properties in healing porcine bone. Constant loading- and unloading-rate depth-sensing indentation tests were performed and properties were computed from nonlinear curve-fits of the unloading displacement-time data. Three properties were obtained from the fit: modulus (the coefficient of an elastic reversible process), hardness (the coefficient of a nonreversible, time-independent process) and viscosity (the coefficient of a nonreversible, time-dependent process). The region adjacent to the dental implant interface demonstrated a slightly depressed elastic modulus along with an increase in local time-dependence (smaller viscosity); there was no clear trend in bone hardness with respect to the implant interface. Values of the elastic modulus and calculated contact hardness were comparable to those obtained in studies utilizing traditional elastic-plastic analysis techniques. The current approach to indentation data analysis shows promise for materials with time-dependent indentation responses.