Mechanical effects of residual bone mass, a maxillofacial prosthesis, and a reconstruction plate on the mandible after marginal resection.

In this study, analytic models were used to simulate marginal resection in the area of the second premolar to the second molar region, and the mechanical effects on the mandible of residual bone mass, a maxillofacial prosthesis, and a reconstruction plate were evaluated by three-dimensional finite element analysis. As residual bone mass decreased, maximum principal stress increased near the anterior ramus of the mandible, and maximum shear stress increased at the anterior buccal region of the resected area. In the mandible with a maxillofacial prosthesis, the maximum principal stress distribution at the anterior ramus was lower, and the distribution of maximum shear stress at the anterior buccal region of the resected area was higher. When a reconstruction plate was used, maximum principal stress and maximum shear stress were lower. Thus, lower residual bone mass was associated with increased mandible deflection and torsion. In addition, presence of a maxillofacial prosthesis decreased deflection but increased torsion, and presence of a reconstruction plate decreased deflection and greatly decreased torsion. These findings suggest that decreased residual bone mass and maxillofacial prostheses increase fracture risk; however, presence of a reconstruction plate was effective in decreasing torsional stress, thereby reducing fracture risk in the mandible.