title: An in vitro biomechanical evaluation of a new commercial titanium-zirconium alloy dental implant: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The study compared the implant mobility and surrounding bone strain between the titanium-zirconium (Ti-Zr) alloy and the commercial pure (CP) Ti implants.
  
  
  METHODS
  The mobility--quantified as the implant stability quotient (ISQ) and Periotest value (PTV)--of implants constructed from Ti-Zr alloy and CP Ti placed into artificial type-2 jawbone models were measured. Specimens were tested by applying 190 N vertically or at 30 degrees laterally. Peak values of the principal strains of bone were recorded by rosette strain gauges with a data acquisition system and were analyzed statistically using Wilcoxon rank-sum test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PTV and ISQ values did not differ significantly between the Ti-Zr and CP Ti implants (P > 0.01). Under vertical loading, the peak bone strains did not differ significantly between the Ti-Zr and CP Ti specimens (P > 0.006). However, the peak strains were 52% lower around the Ti-Zr implant than around the Ti implant on the buccal side of bone under lateral loading (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The implant material (Ti-Zr alloy vs CP Ti) had no effect on the mobility of small-diameter dental implants. However, using Ti-Zr alloy as an implant material decreased the periimplant bone strain under lateral loading in this pilot study.
authors.affiliation: *Assistant Professor and Director, Department of Dentistry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. †Associate Professor, Biomechanics Res. Lab, School of Dentistry, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan. ‡Professor, Biomechanics Res. Lab, School of Dentistry, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Aaron Yu-Jen
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jui-Ting
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Heng-Li
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000497:Alloys; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D015921:Dental Implants; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014025:Titanium; D015040:Zirconium
chemical_list: D000497:Alloys; D015921:Dental Implants; D015040:Zirconium; D014025:Titanium