Evaluation of Fatigue Behavior in Dental Implants from In Vitro Clinical Tests: A Systematic Review

• Main Authors: Rosa Rojo, María Prados-Privado, Antonio José Reinoso, Juan Carlos Prados-Frutos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-05-01
• Series: Metals
• Subjects: biomechanics; dental implant(s); in vitro; systematic reviews; evidence-based medicine
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/8/5/313

In the area of dentistry, there is a wide variety of designs of dental implant and materials, especially titanium, which aims to avoid failures and increase their clinical durability. The purpose of this review was to evaluate fatigue behavior in different connections and implant materials, as well as their loading conditions and response to failure. In vitro tests under normal and dynamic loading conditions evaluating fatigue at implant and abutment connection were included. A search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct. Data extraction was performed independently by two reviewers. The quality of selected studies was assessed using the Cochrane Handbook proposed by the tool for clinical trials. Nineteen studies were included. Fourteen studies had an unclear risk and five had high risk of bias. Due to the heterogeneity of the data and the evaluation of the quality of the studies, meta-analysis could not be performed. Evidence from this study suggests that both internal and morse taper connections presented a better behavior to failure. However, it is necessary to unify criteria in the methodological design of in vitro studies, following methodological guidelines and establishing conditions that allow the homogenization of designs in ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standards.