VERTICAL LOAD DISTRIBUTION ON A 3-UNIT PROSTHESIS SUPPORTED BY A NATURAL TOOTH AND A SINGLE BRANEMARK IMPLANT - AN IN-VIVO STUDY

In vivo bite forces, implant axial forces and bending moments were mea sured on 5 patients with fixed posterior prostheses supported by a nat ural tooth and a single Branemark implant. The results demonstrate tha t the vertical loads applied to the prostheses are shared between the tooth and the implant. The maximum bending moment transferred to the i mplant (10-15 N . cm) was well below the acceptable load limits for th e mechanical components (50-60 N . cm), even at bite forces exceeding 100 N. The main reason for this load sharing seems to be the inherent bending flexibility of the implant screw joint, which matches the axia l flexibility of the periodontal ligament of the tooth.