Design process for skeletal implants to optimize cellular response

A method of designing a skeletal implant comprises measuring the width, height, and elastic modulus of the bone to be implanted, generating a macro-design of the implant based on the width and height of the bone, and determining a micro-design for the implant, based on the measured elastic modulus, to ensure that strain in the bone is kept in a range to promote bone growth and to minimize bone resorption, during functional loading. For threaded implants, the shape of the thread is chosen so that bone strain adjacent the threaded attachment surface of the implant is between about 100 and 3000 microstrain. A device for implanting into the existing bone and for attaching a dental prosthesis thereto has a crest portion, a base portion, and a configuration for securing the base portion to the existing bone. The securing configuration creates a level of strain in the bone adjacent the outer surface less than the level of strain which causes resorption of the bone tissue and greater than the minimum level required to promote bone growth. The securing configuration comprises a continuous thread, forming a helix around the base portion. The bone contacting area of the thread increases as the thread nears the crest portion, thereby increasing the surface area over which force is distributed from the implant.