Finite element analysis of equine incisor teeth. Part 1: Determination of the material parameters of the periodontal ligament

In equine dentistry, periodontal diseases are frequently found in aged horses. Excessive strains and stresses within the periodontal ligament (PDL) occurring during the masticatory cycle may be predisposing factors especially in old horses with short, worn teeth. The finite element (FE) analysis is a valuable tool to investigate such strains and stresses in biological materials but a precondition for a realistic and reliable FE analysis is accurate knowledge of material parameters. As no data exist concerning the PDL of equine incisor teeth, this study was undertaken to determine the equine specific, age related and load dependent Young's modulus of equine incisors.To determine the biomechanical behaviour of the PDL, the incisor jaw-regions of horses of different ages were sectioned into 5 mm thick slice samples and the incisors experimentally intruded (i.e. axially displaced into the alveolus) while recording the load-displacement relationship. Based on high resolution micro-computer tomography (μCT)-datasets, reliable and detailed 3-dimensional models of the slice samples were constructed focusing on precisely modelling the anatomy of the PDL. FE calculations were then performed and set-actual comparisons of the FE results with the experimentally measured displacements enabled the Young's modulus of the PDL to be determined.The results of this study reflect the typical non-linear behaviour of the collagen fibres of the PDL and present a high load dependency of the PDL's Young's modulus. Further investigations calculating the strains and stresses within the periodontal ligament, teeth and surrounding bone of the entire rostral aspect of the jaw are warranted.