Objectives: The influence of osseointegrated implant diameter and length in association with distal-extension removable partial prostheses (DERPDs) has not yet been reported in the literature. Thus, this study evaluated the influence of associating Branemark system osseointegrated implants under a DERPD prosthetic base working only as support, analyzing displacement and von Mises tension maps, using bi-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA). Methods: Eight representative lower hemi-mandibular casts were made with only teeth 33 and 34 present, as follows: A - without RPD; B - with RPD and without implants; C - with RPD and 3,75 x 7,00 mm implant; D - with RPD and 3,75 x 10,00 mm implant; E - with RPD and 3,75 x 13,00 mm implant; F - with RPD and 5,00 x 7,00 mm implant; G - with RPD and 5,00 x 10,00 mm implant; H - with RPD and 5,00 x 13,00 mm implant. Applied forces of 50 N on each edge tip were strictly vertical. Results: The RPD overloaded the support tooth and other RPD support structures when compared with cast A. Implants reduced tensions, mainly at toothless edge extremities, when comparing cast B with associated implant casts. Both implant lengths and diameters tended to reduce tensions as their dimensions increased. Conclusions: Cast B showed the greatest displacement tendency; the longer the implants, the smaller were the displacement map values; Cast B showed higher von Mises tension levels than Cast A; Casts with associated implant showed lower von Mises tension levels than Cast B in the RPD support structures; increasing implant length and diameter had positive influence on decreasing tensions in models that incorporated them.

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