title: A 3D numerical simulation of stress distribution and fracture process in a zirconia-based FPD framework.
abstract: In this study, a numerical approach to the fracture behavior in a three-unit zirconia-based fixed partial denture (FPD) framework was made under mechanical loading using a newly developed three-dimensional (3D) numerical modeling code. All the materials studied were treated heterogeneously and Weibull distribution law was applied to describe the heterogeneity. The Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion with tensile strength cut-off was utilized to judge whether the material was in an elastic or failed state. For validation, the fracture pattern obtained from the numerical modeling was compared with a laboratory test; they largely correlated with each other. Similar fracture initiation sites were detected both in the numerical simulation and in an earlier fractographic analysis. The numerical simulation applied in this study clearly described the stress distribution and fracture process of zirconia-based FPD frameworks, information that could not be gained from the laboratory tests alone. Thus, the newly developed 3D numerical modeling code seems to be an efficient tool for prediction of the fracture process in ceramic FPD frameworks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Materials Science, Faculty of Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå SE-901 87, Sweden. wen.kou@odont.umu.se
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kou
authors.forename: Decong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jiyan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yansheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Göran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sjögren
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D003764:Dental Materials; D019232:Dental Restoration Failure; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D003830:Denture, Partial, Fixed / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D015040:Zirconium / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D003764:Dental Materials; D015040:Zirconium; C028541:zirconium oxide