An ultrasonic device to assess the biomechanical properties of the bone implant interface

Dental implants are commonly used for oral rehabilitation. However, risks of failure still exist and are difficult to anticipate. This ex vivo study aims at investigating the potentiality of quantitative ultrasound (QUS) to assess the amount of bone in contact with titanium prototype cylindrical implants. Four groups of ten rabbit femurs each are considered, corresponding to specimen with different amounts of bone in contact with the implant. The 10 MHz ultrasonic response of the implant is processed to derive a quantitative indicator /, based on the temporal variation of the signal amplitude. ANOVA (p<;10^-5 ) tests revealed a significant correlation between / and the amount of bone in contact with the cylinders. An empirical model considering the propagation of lateral waves allows to understand the physical origin of the echoes. QUS technique may be used to investigate the amount of bone in contact with cylindrically shaped implants.