The UAB Research Foundation (the University of Alabama at Birmingham)

Biohorizons Implants Systems

Biohorizons, Inc.

Martha Warren Bidez

J Todd Strong

Carl E Misch

Carl F Misch

A method of designing a skeletal implant comprises measuring physical characteristics of the bone to be implanted, generating a macro-design of the implant based on the physical characteristics, and determining a micro-design for the implant to ensure that strain in the bone is kept between 100 and 3000 microstrain to promote bone growth and to minimize bone resorption during functional loading. In an alternate embodiment, a dental implant comprises a crest portion having a circular bottom surface, an opposite circular top surface, and a side wall intermediate the bottom surface and the top surface, the top surface being adapted for attaching the dental prosthesis thereto. A circular base portion has a crestal end, an opposite apical end, and a core section intermediate the crestal end and the apical end having an outer surface. A helical thread extends about a portion of the outer surface of the core section that secures the device within existing bone. The bone contacting surface area of the thread increases as the thread nears the crestal end, thereby increasing the surface area over which force is distributed from the implant to the surrounding bone so as to minimize resorption of the existing bone and promote growth of new bone tissue adjacent the device. In an alternative embodiment, a dental implant having a crest module, a threaded first section and a second section, comprises a surface disposed on a selected one of the crest module or the second section for distributing to the bone in a non-longitudinal direction a portion of any longitudinally directed force on the implant.

Design process for skeletal implants to optimize cellular response

A dental implant for having a longitudinal axis for implanting in bone, has a crest module having a top end, a bottom end and a wall having an outer surface and a threaded section. The threaded section has a crestal end and an apical end, the crestal end abutting the bottom end of the crest module, a helical thread extending along a portion of the first section from a base end outwardly to a distal end. The threaded section also has a length, a major diameter being defined as the diameter of the threaded section measured at the distal end of the thread and a minor diameter being defined as the diameter of the threaded section measured at the base end of the helical thread. The major diameter is constant along the length of the threaded section, whereas a selected thread feature is chosen as a function of a selected biomedical characteristic. The selected thread feature could include the minor diameter, the thread pitch or the thread geometry. The selected biomedical characteristic is one of the location in the bone in which the implant is placed, the elastic modulus of the bone and the desired biomechanical response of the bone.

Dental implants to optimize cellular response

A method of designing a skeletal implant comprises measuring the width, height, and elastic modulus of the bone to be implanted, generating a macro-design of the implant based on the width and height of the bone, and determining a micro-design for the implant, based on the measured elastic modulus, to ensure that strain in the bone is kept in a range to promote bone growth and to minimize bone resorption, during functional loading. For threaded implants, the shape of the thread is chosen so that bone strain adjacent the threaded attachment surface of the implant is between about 100 and 3000 microstrain. A device for implanting into the existing bone and for attaching a dental prosthesis thereto has a crest portion, a base portion, and a configuration for securing the base portion to the existing bone. The securing configuration creates a level of strain in the bone adjacent the outer surface less than the level of strain which causes resorption of the bone tissue and greater than the minimum level required to promote bone growth. The securing configuration comprises a continuous thread, forming a helix around the base portion. The bone contacting area of the thread increases as the thread nears the crest portion, thereby increasing the surface area over which force is distributed from the implant.

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Birmingham, AL, United States of America

Martha Warren Bidez