OBJECTIVE: To analyze the biomechanics of cystic lesions in the mandibular body in a three-dimensional (3D) finite element model. METHODS: A 3D finite element model of cystic lesion of the mandibular body was constructed based on the CT images of the mandible of a healthy adult female volunteer with normal occlusion. The size of the cyst and the residual bone wall were analyzed when the lesion area approached the stress peak under certain constraints and loading conditions. RESULTS: When the size of the cyst reached 37.63 mm×11.32 mm×21.45 mm, the maximal von Mises stress in the lesion area reached 77.295 MPa, close to the yield strength of the mandible with a risk of pathological fracture. At this point, the remaining bone thickness of the buccal and lingual sides and the lower margin of the mandible in the lesion area was 1.52 mm, 0.76 mm and 1.04 mm, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Residual bone mass is an important factor to affect the risk of pathological fracture after curettage of cystic lesions. A thickness as low as 1 mm of the residual bone cortex in the cystic lesion area of the mandibular body can be used as the threshold for a clinical decision on one-stage windowing decompression combined with two- stage curettage.
Adult ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Female ; Finite Element Analysis ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Mandible ; Stress, Mechanical