The structural integrity of load-bearing implants is crucial for long-term clinical success. Additive manufacturing (AM), specifically electron beam melting (EBM), enables the design of complex, thin-walled geometries tailored to patient-specific needs. Due to manufacturing-related imperfections, greater surface roughness, and the thin-walled structure itself, the mechanical properties differ from those of conventionally manufactured samples 1, 2. Furthermore, there is no gold standard for the mechanical testing of mandible implants. These circumstances, therefore, necessitate specialised experimental analyses. This study evaluates the biomechanical performance of a thin-walled, EBM-fabricated mandibular implant for bridging large defects due to tumour resection or trauma. To replicate biomechanics as realistically as possible during experimental tests, a test setup was developed using a numerical model. This setup enables systematic investigation of the implant-screw assembly using both minipig cadaveric bone and 3D-printed resin surrogates. A secondary objective is to validate the suitability of 3D-printed resin as a consistent surrogate material for biological bone in AM-related testing. The results provide critical insights into the fatigue resistance and structural reliability of the additively manufactured implant and the fixation system.
Knorre et al. (2026) studied this question.