Explicit finite element analysis can predict the mechanical response of conical implant press-fit in homogenized trabecular bone.
Prediction of primary stability is a major challenge in the surgical planning of dental and orthopedic implants. Computational methods become attractive to estimate primary stability from clinical CT images, but implicit finite element analysis of implant press-fit faces convergence issues due to contact and highly distorted elements. This study aims to develop and validate an explicit finite element method to simulate the insertion and primary stability of a rigid implant in a deformable bone while accounting for damage occurring at the bone-implant interface. Accordingly, a press-fit experiment of a conical implant into predrilled bovine trabecular bone was designed and realized for six samples. A displacement-driven cyclic protocol was used to quantify the reaction force and stiffness of the bone-implant system. Homogenized finite element analyses of the experiments were performed by modeling contact with friction and converting an existing constitutive model with elasto-plasticity and damage of bone tissue to be applicable to an explicit time integration scheme where highly distorted elements get deleted. The computed reaction forces and unloading stiffnesses showed high correlations (R2 = 0.95 and R2 = 0.94) with the experiment. Friction between bone and implant exhibited a strong influence on both reaction force and stiffness. In conclusion, the developed explicit finite element approach with frictional contact and element deletion accounts properly for bone damage during press-fit and will help optimizing dental or orthopedic implant design towards maximal primary stability.