Equivalent micropolar model for porous guided bone regeneration mesh: Optimum design for desired mechanical properties.

• Micropolar continuum is used to homogenise porous guided bone regeneration meshes for dental application. • Parametric studies are carried out to investigate the effect of pore size and morphology on the mechanical properties. • To make GBR mechanical properties compatible with the adjacent bone texture the optimal configuration is proposed. • Pore geometries with compact patterns are a better choice for GBR meshes as they can provide a broader range of porosity. In the present work, a micropolar continuum model is adopted to homogenise a heterogeneous porous model of Guided Bone Regeneration (GBR) meshes. GBR meshes are used in dentistry as mechanical barriers to isolate and protect the area of bone loss from the surrounding tissue while allowing new bone growth. The mechanical constants of the continuum are derived based on the strain energy equivalence of a periodic porous plate with its equivalent ortho-tetragonal micropolar model under prescribed boundary conditions. The effects of various architectural features such as pore shapes, patterns and sizes on the material parameters are investigated. The results show that the micropolar theory provides a better prediction of the response of the 2D porous geometries considered for the GBR mesh, compared to the classical Cauchy theory. The collected equivalent material parameters are further used for GBR mesh design, considering both mechanical and biomedical requirements. As an example, different materials and arrangements are analysed to find micropolar constitutive parameters that are comparable to bone parameters reported in the literature. This allows the GBR mesh to possess the mechanical performance that matches the adjacent bones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]