Masticatory System Biomechanical Photoelastic Simulation fot the Comparision of the Conventional and Uni-Lock Systems in Mandibular Osteosynthesis

The biomechanical consequences of the interaction between titanium trauma plates and screws and the fractured mandible are still a matter of investigation. The mathematical and biomechanical models that have been developed show limitations and the experimental studies are not able to reproduce muscle forces and internal stress distributions in the bone-implant interface and mandibular structure. In the present article we show a static simulator of the masticatory system to demonstrate in epoxy resin mandibular models, by means of 3D (three-dimensional) photoelasticity, the stress distribution using different osteosynthesis methods in the mandibular angle fractures. The results showed that the simulator and 3D photoelasticity were a useful method to study interactions between bone and osteosynthesis materials. The “Lock” systems can be considered the most favourable method due to their stress distribution in the epoxy resin mandible. 3D photoelasticity in epoxy resin models is a useful method to evaluate stress distribution for biomechanical studies. Regarding to mandibular osteosynthesis, “lock” plates offer the most favourable stress distribution due to being less aggressive to the bone