A porous fibrous hyperelastic damage model for human periodontal ligament: Application of a microcomputerized tomography finite element model

Abstract

The periodontal ligament (PDL) is a soft biological tissue that connects the tooth with the trabecular bone of the mandible. It plays a key role in load transmission and is primarily responsible for bone resorption and most common periodontal diseases. Although several numerical studies have analysed the biomechanical response of the PDL, most did not consider its porous fibrous structure, and only a few analysed damage to the PDL. This study presents an innovative numerical formulation of a porous fibrous hyperelastic damage material model for the PDL. The model considers two separate softening phenomena: fibre alignment during loading and fibre rupture. The parameters for the material model characterization were fitted using experimental data from the literature. Furthermore, the experimental tests used for characterization were computationally modelled to verify the material parameters. A finite element model of a portion of a human mandible, obtained by microcomputerized tomography, was developed, and the proposed constitutive model was implemented for the PDL. Our results confirm that damage to the PDL may occur mainly because of overpressure of the interstitial fluid, while large forces must be applied to damage the PDL fibrous network. Moreover, this study clarifies some aspects of the relationship between PDL damage and the bone remodelling process.

Computational characterization of the porous‐fibrous behavior of the soft tissues in the temporomandibular joint

“…Consequently, we evaluated the validity of a porous hyperfoam material model for this purpose. These two material models were combined, building upon an existing material model proposed by Ortún‐Terrazas et al () and later validated (Ortún‐Terrazas et al, , ). The present study further develops the approach proposed by Pérez del Palomar and Doblaré () by considering the fibrous‐porous properties of the TMJ disc, and extends this approach to the other soft tissues of the TMJ.…”

Biomechanical Modelling for Tooth Survival Studies: Mechanical Properties, Loads and Boundary Conditions—A Narrative Review

“…Specifically, PDL mechanical response is not yet clearly defined. While some studies describe its behavior as viscoelastic [ 68 , 71 , 72 , 73 ], others describe it as hyperelastic [ 74 , 75 ] or visco-hyperelastic [ 76 , 77 ]. As well as other ligaments in the human body [ 78 ], PDL response to cyclic loads is dependent on the loading frequency and the number of cycles.…”

“…[ 99 , 100 ]. In dental biomechanics, FEM have become an important tool for testing and researching, due to the size of teeth and the reduced viability for obtaining a big number of samples for statistical validation, as teeth are human, non-regenerative tissues [ 22 , 75 , 84 , 101 , 102 , 103 ].…”

Tissue Engineering for Periodontal Ligament Regeneration: Biomechanical Specifications

“…These tools allow the consideration of the complex geometry of the root, that is involved in the mechanical response of the periodontal complex [27,[96][97][98], and considering various complex loading conditions that are difficult to achieved in experimental studies [95,99]. For example, these models highlighted the significance of the fluid phase in the viscous behavior of the PDL under a physiological loading [100][101][102] and other different microstructural features [103,104].…”