• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.125-135
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• 2009

Statement of problem: Loosening or fracture of the abutment screw is one of the common problems related to the dental implant. Generally, in order to make the screw joint stable, the preload generated by tightening torque needs to be increased within the elastic limit of the screw. However, additional tensile forces can produce the plastic deformation of abutment screw when functional loads are superimposed on preload stresses, and they can elicit loosening or fracture of the abutment screw. Therefore, it is necessary to find the optimum tightening torque that maximizes a fatigue life and simultaneously offer a reasonable degree of protection against loosening. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to present the influence of tightening torque on the implant-abutment screw joint stability with the 3 dimensional finite element analysis. Material and methods: In this study, the finite element model of the implant system with external butt joint connection was designed and verified by comparison with additional theoretical and experimental results. Four different amount of tightening torques(10, 20, 30 and 40 Ncm) and the external loading(250 N, $30^{\circ}$) were applied to the model, and the equivalent stress distributions and the gap distances were calculated according to each tightening torque and the result was analyzed. Results: Within the limitation of this study, the following results were drawn; 1) There was the proportional relation between the tightening torque and the preload. 2) In case of applying only the tightening torque, the maximum stress was found at the screw neck. 3) The maximum stress was also shown at the screw neck under the external loading condition. However in case of applying 10 Ncm tightening torque, it was found at the undersurface of the screw head. 4) The joint opening was observed under the external loading in case of applying 10 Ncm and 20 Ncm of tightening torque. 5) When the tightening torque was applied at 40 Ncm, under the external loading the maximum stress exceeded the allowable stress value of the titanium alloy. Conclusion: Implant abutment screw must have a proper tightening torque that will be able to maintain joint stability of fixture and abutment.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.396-408
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• 2008

Statement of problem: Within the elastic limit of the screw, the greater the preload, the tighter and more secure the screw joint. However, additional tensile forces can incur plastic deformation of the abutment screw when functional loads are superimposed on preload stresses, and they can elicit the loosening or fracture of the abutment screw. Therefore, it is necessary to find the optimum preload that will maximize fatigue life and simultaneously offer a reasonable degree of protection against loosening. Another critical factor in addition to the applied torque which can affect the amount of preload is the joint connection type between implant and abutment. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of tightening torque on the implant-abutment screw joint stability. Material and methods: Respectively, three different amount of tightening torque (20, 30, and 40 Ncm) were applied to implant systems with three different joint connections, one external butt joint and two internal cones. The initial removal torque value and the postload (cyclic loading up to 100,000 cycles) removal torque value of the abutment screw were measured with digital torque gauge. Then rate of the initial and the postload removal torque loss were calculated for the comparison of the effect of tightening torques and joint connection types between implant and abutment on the joint stability. Results and conclusion: 1. Increase in tightening torque value resulted in significant increase in initial and postload removal torque value in all implant systems (P < .05). 2. Initial removal torque loss rates in SS II system were not significantly different when three different tightening torque values were applied (P > .05), however GS II and US II systems exhibited significantly lower loss rates with 40 Ncm torque value than with 20 Ncm (P < .05). 3. In all implant systems, postload removal torque loss rates were lowest when the torque value of 30 Ncm was applied (P < .05). 4. Postload removal torque loss rates tended to increase in order of SS II, GS II and US II system. 5. There was no correlation between initial removal torque value and postload removal torque loss rate (P > .05).

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.37 no.10
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• pp.1239-1249
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• 2013

In this study we establish a process to predict hardening behavior considering the Bauschinger effect for zircaloy-4 sheets. When a metal is compressed after tension in forming, the yield strength decreases. For this reason, the Bauschinger effect should be considered in FE simulations of spring-back. We suggested a suitable specimen size and a method for determining the optimum tightening torque for simple shear tests. Shear stress-strain curves are obtained for five materials. We developed a method to convert the shear load-displacement curve to the effective stress-strain curve with FEA. We simulated the simple shear forward/reverse test using the combined isotropic/kinematic hardening model. We also investigated the change of the load-displacement curve by varying the hardening coefficients. We determined the hardening coefficients so that they follow the hardening behavior of zircaloy-4 in experiments.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.61-68
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• 2010

Purpose: This article attempted to determine the factors affecting the preload and screw loosening. Methods: Available clinical studies from 1981 to 2008 from the PUBMED that presented screw loosening data and review articles regarding screw joint stability were evaluated. Eleven studies dealing the biomechanical principles of the screw mechanics were reviewed. Moreover, the results of our data were included. Results: The frequency of screw loosening was consequently reduced due to the advancement in torque tightening with torque wrench, screw material, coating technique for reducing the frictional force, and thread design, etc. If preload in the screw falls below a critical level, joint stability may be compromised, and the screw joint may fail clinically. The types of fatigue failure of screw were divided to adhesive wear, plastic deformation, and screw fracture. Conclusion: An optimum preload is essential to the success of the implant-abutment complex. To maintain optimum preload, using a torque wrench and re-tightening at recall time were needed.