Mechanical properties of bone-implant interface: an in vitro comparison of the parameters at placement and at 3 months.

Four biomechanical parameters--peak force, vertical displacement, interface stiffness, and strain energy--were defined to evaluate bone-implant interface properties. These parameters were measured at placement and after 3 months of healing during push-in tests on commercially pure titanium implants placed in the mandibles of dogs in a one-phase nonsubmerged procedure. Comparison of the results showed that peak force, interface stiffness, and strain energy increased after 3 months of healing, but vertical displacement decreased. These findings suggest that the interface stiffness, which is considered a major factor for implant success, increases during 3 months of healing in dogs, which corresponds to a 4- to 6-month healing period in human mandibles.