Tensile Testing of the Mechanical Behavior of the Human Periodontal Ligament

Overview

Journal Biomed Eng Online

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Biomedical Engineering

Date 2018 Nov 25

PMID 30470224

Citations 14

Authors

Bin Wu

Yipeng Fu

Haotian Shi

Bin Yan

Ruxin Lu

Songyun Ma

Bernd Markert

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The periodontal ligament (PDL) plays a key role in alveolar bone remodeling and resorption during tooth movements. The prediction of tooth mobility under functional dental loads requires a deep understanding of the mechanical behavior of the PDL, which is a critical issue in dental biomechanics. This study was aimed to examine the mechanical behavior of the PDL of the maxillary central and lateral incisors from human. The experimental results can contribute to developing an accurate constitutive model of the human PDL in orthodontics.

Methods: The samples of human incisors were cut into three slices. Uniaxial tensile tests were conducted under different loading rates. The transverse sections (cervical, middle and apex) normal to the longitudinal axis of the root of the tooth were used in the uniaxial tensile tests. Based on a bilinear simplification of the stress-strain relations, the elastic modulus of the PDL was calculated. The values of the elastic modulus in different regions were compared to explore the factors that influence the mechanical behavior of the periodontal ligament.

Results: The obtained stress-strain curves of the human PDL were characterized by a bilinear model with two moduli (E and E) for quantifying the elastic behavior of the PDL from the central and lateral incisors. Statistically significant differences of the elastic modulus were observed in the cases of 1, 3, and 5 N loading levels for the different teeth (central and lateral incisors). The results showed that the mechanical property of the human incisors' PDLs is dependent on the location of PDL (ANOVA, P = 0.022, P < 0.05). The elastic moduli at the middle planes were greater than at the cervical and apical planes. However, at the cervical, middle, and apical planes, the elastic moduli of the mesial and distal site were not significantly different (ANOVA, P = 0.804, P > 0.05).

Conclusions: The values of elastic modulus were determined in the range between 0.607 and 4.274 MPa under loads ranging from 1 to 5 N. The elastic behavior of the PDL is influenced by the loading rate, tooth type, root level, and individual variation.

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