The fatigue behavior of narrow single-body titanium implants in saline and acidic media

Purpose: The objective of this study was to examine how the saline and acidic environment affects the mechanical integrity of narrow single-body titanium implants for oral rehabilitation. Materials and methods: Thirty titanium-base alloy implants with 2.5 mm diameter were placed into a polyacetal holder and coupled to a stainless-steel prosthetic cap for fatigue testing in three different environments, as follows: dry air; saline solution (pH at 7.6); and lactic acid solution (pH at 3.4). The fracture surfaces were analyzed using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Also, finite element analysis was carried out to estimate the maximum von Mises stresses. Results: The fatigue resistance was higher in the group tested in dry air (60%), followed by saline solution (30%) and lactic acid (10%). Regardless of the environment, fracture occurred at the same region of the failed specimens in line with the highest stress concentration spots, according to the finite element analysis. SEM analyses revealed two distinct failure regions, both with the presence of fatigue streaks: fatigue and overload. A high incidence of secondary cracks was also noticed on the specimens exposed to the solutions. Conclusions: The present study revealed that both saline and acidic solutions significantly affect the fatigue resistance of narrow dental implants. Critical regions of the narrow implants were also susceptible to cracks and plastic deformation that should be taken into consideration in planning for oral rehabilitation.