Functional surface area in biomechanical integration of endosseous implant

The functional surface area of an implant body contributes significantly to the initial stability of the implant and may be modified by certain factors, including thread pitch and depth. Aim: comparing the areas of three thread profiles: isosceles triangle (thread “V”), right triangle (“buttress” or “reverse buttress”) and square, depending on the variation of thread pitch and depth. Material and methods: for triangular and square thread profiles their areas varied on depth for values of 0.2; 0.4; 0.6 mm and 0.8; 1.00; 1.40 mm on pitch. Data were processed using Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software and statistical program 6.0. Results: the profile of an isosceles triangle section provides the most functional surface area followed by that of the right triangle profile (“buttress” or “reverse buttress”), the lowest value being calculated for square threads. Conclusions: functional surface area depends significantly on the profile, pitch and depth of the implant thread.