Mandibular deformation in subjects with osseointegrated implants.

Relative movement and force transmission between osseointegrated (OI) implants in the premolar regions of the edentulous mandible have been measured using intraoral transducers linked to OI implants. These have shown deformations of up to 420 microns and force transmission of up to 16 N as a result of jaw movement from the rest position. Greater displacements and forces were observed in active opening and protrusion than in lateral excursions. There were wide variations from subject to subject, and while the effects of these phenomena are not known, they may be potentially harmful to the interfaces between the implants and bone and the various components of the implant superstructure.