An In Vitro Comparison of Different Cementation Strategies on the Pull-out Strength of a Glass Fiber Post

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Tensile bond strength of self-etching versus total-etching adhesive systems under different dentinal substrate conditions

The use of acid etchants to produce surface demineralization and collagen network exposure, allowing adhesive monomers interdiffusion and consequently the formation of a hybrid layer, has been considered the most efficient mechanism of dentin bonding. The aim of this study was to compare the tensile bond strength to dentin of three adhesive systems, two self-etching ones (Clearfil SE Bond - CSEB and One Up Bond F - OUBF) and one total-etching one (Single Bond - SB), under three dentinal substrate conditions (wet, dry and re-wet). Ninety human, freshly extracted third molars were sectioned at the occlusal surface to remove enamel and to form a flat dentin wall. The specimens were restored with composite resin (Filtek Z250) and submitted to tensile bond strength testing (TBS) in an MTS 810. The data were submitted to two-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (p = 0.05). Wet dentin presented the highest TBS values for SB and CSEB. Dry dentin and re-wet produced significantly lower TBS values when using SB. OUBF was not affected by the different conditions of the dentin substrate, producing similar TBS values regardless of the surface pretreatments.

Comparison of resin push-out strength to root dentin of bovine- and human-teeth

Aim : To compare the push-out strength of bovine- and human-root dentin and, thus, evaluate the suitability of bovine-root dentin to substitute human-root dentin for bond strength testing. Materials and Methods : Ten single-rooted human-teeth and ten bovine incisors were prepared using a #3 bur of a fiber post system (12 mm long). The posts were duplicated with resin cement (Duolink). The root canals were treated with All Bond 2 adhesive system and the resin posts were cemented using Duolink. The specimens were cut perpendicular to their long axis, yielding disc-specimens with 1.5 mm thickness, which were submitted to a push-out test (1 mm/min). Ten bond strength values per group (n = 10) were used for statistical analysis (Student t test, a =.05). Results : Statistically significant differences were found for the bond strength values between bovine- (4.1 1.3 MPa) and human-root dentin (8.6 5.7 MPa) (P =.0001). Conclusion : The push-out strengths of bovine- and human-root dentin were statistically different.

Adhesion between fiber post and root dentin: evaluation of post surface conditioning for bond strength improvement.

The aim of this paper was to evaluate two surface conditioning methods associated with the application of adhesive on the post surface for improving the bond to resin cement. Sixty single-rooted bovine teeth were sectioned at 16 mm in length, prepared (9 mm depth), embedded in a PVC cylinder using acrylic resin, and allocated into 3 groups (N.=20) according to post surface treatment: cleaning with ethanol (control group); etching with hydrogen peroxide; etching with hydrofluoric acid. Ten posts for each group were silanized and other 10 posts were silanized and received an adhesive agent. The posts were cemented with self-adhesive resin cement (RelyX U100 resin cement). All teeth were sectioned perpendicularly to the long axis (2 mm thickness per slice), submitted to push out bond strength testing and the type of failure was recorded. The obtained data were submitted to two-way ANOVA and Turkey's test, with the level of significance set at 5%. Neither the hydrofluoric acid or hydrogen peroxide post surface treatment, nor the adhesive application, had an influence on bond strength values. The main type of failure was adhesive between cement and dentin. Etching and the application of an adhesive on the post surface did not presented a significant influence on the bond strength results for the fiber post resin cement-root dentin assembly. The cement appears to adhere very well to the fiber post surface rather than the dentin surface.

Biaxial flexural strength of CAD/CAM ceramics.

Aim of the study was to evaluate the biaxial flexural strength of ceramics processed using the Cerec inLab system. The hypothesis was that the flexural strength would be influenced by the type of ceramic. Ten samples (ISO 6872) of each ceramic (N.=50/n.=10) were made using Cerec inLab (software Cerec 3D) (Ø:15 mm, thickness: 1.2 mm). Three silica-based ceramics (Vita Mark II [VM], ProCad [PC] and e-max CAD ECAD]) and two yttria-stabilized tetragonal-zirconia-polycrystalline ceramics (Y-TZP) (e-max ZirCad [ZrCAD] and Vita In-Ceram 2000 YZ Cubes [VYZ]) were tested. The samples were finished with wet silicone carbide papers up to 1200-grit and polished in a polishing machine with diamond paste (3 μm). The samples were then submitted to biaxial flexural strength testing in a universal testing machine (EMIC), 1 mm/min. The data (MPa) were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn (5%) tests. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) was performed on a representative sample from each group. The values (median, mean±sd) obtained for the experimental groups were: VM (101.7, 102.1±13.65 MPa), PC (165.2, 160±34.7 MPa), ECAD (437.2, 416.1±50.1 MPa), ZrCAD (804.2, 800.8±64.47 MPa) and VYZ (792.7, 807±100.7 MPa). The type of ceramic influenced the flexural strength values (P=0.0001). The ceramics ECADa, e-max ZrCADa and VYZa presented similar flexural strength values which were significantly higher than the other groups (PCb and VM IIb), which were similar statistically between them (Dunn's test). The hypothesis was accepted. The polycrystalline ceramics (Y-TZP) should be material chosen for make FPDs because of their higher flexural strength values.

Effect of air-particle abrasion protocols on the biaxial flexural strength, surface characteristics and phase transformation of zirconia after cyclic loading

This study evaluated the effect of air-particle abrasion protocols on the biaxial flexural strength, surface characteristics and phase transformation of zirconia after cyclic loading. Disc-shaped zirconia specimens (Ø: 15mm, thickness: 1.2mm) (N=32) were submitted to one of the air-particle abrasion protocols (n=8 per group): (a) 50μm Al2O3 particles, (b) 110μm Al2O3 particles coated with silica (Rocatec Plus), (c) 30μm Al2O3 particles coated with silica (CoJet Sand) for 20s at 2.8bar pressure. Control group received no air-abrasion. All specimens were initially cyclic loaded (×20,000, 50N, 1Hz) in water at 37°C and then subjected to biaxial flexural strength testing where the conditioned surface was under tension. Zirconia surfaces were characterized and roughness was measured with 3D surface profilometer. Phase transformation from tetragonal to monoclinic was determined by Raman spectroscopy. The relative amount of transformed monoclinic zirconia (FM) and transformed zone depth (TZD) were measured using XRD. The data (MPa) were analyzed using ANOVA, Tukey's tests and Weibull modulus (m) were calculated for each group (95% CI). The biaxial flexural strength (MPa) of CoJet treated group (1266.3±158A) was not significantly different than that of Rocatec Plus group (1179±216.4A,B) but was significantly higher than the other groups (Control: 942.3±74.6C; 50μm Al2O3: 915.2±185.7B,C). Weibull modulus was higher for control (m=13.79) than those of other groups (m=4.95, m=5.64, m=9.13 for group a, b and c, respectively). Surface roughness (Ra) was the highest with 50μm Al2O3 (0.261μm) than those of other groups (0.15-0.195μm). After all air-abrasion protocols, FM increased (15.02%-19.25%) compared to control group (11.12%). TZD also showed increase after air-abrasion protocols (0.83-1.07μm) compared to control group (0.59μm). Air-abrasion protocols increased the roughness and monoclinic phase but in turn abrasion with 30μm Al2O3 particles coated with silica has increased the biaxial flexural strength of the tested zirconia. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Zirconia-Porcelain Bonding: Effect of Multiple Firings on Microtensile Bond Strength

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Influence of nanoparticles on color stability, microhardness, and flexural strength of acrylic resins specific for ocular prosthesis

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Influence of plate bending stiffness on mechanical properties of healing fracture, mouse femora

Mechanically well-defined stabilization systems have only recently become available, providing standardized conditions for studying the role of the mechanical environment on mouse bone fracture healing. The aim of this study was to characterize the time course of strength recovery and callus development of mouse femoral osteotomies stabilized with either low or high flexibility (in bending and torsion) internal fixation plates. Animals were euthanized and femora excised at 14, 21, and 28 days post-osteotomy for microCT analysis and torsional strength testing. While a larger mineralized callus was observed in osteotomies under more flexible conditions at all time points, the earlier bridging of the mineralized callus under less flexible conditions by 1 week resulted in an earlier recovery of torsional strength in mice stabilized with low flexibility fixation. Ultimate torque values for these bones were significantly higher at 14 and 21 days post-osteotomy compared to bones with the more flexible stabilization. Our study confirms the high reproducibility of the results that are achieved with this new implant system, therefore making it ideal for studying the influence of the mechanical environment on murine fracture healing under highly standardized conditions.

Research on laser welding of cast Ni-based superalloy K418 turbo disk and alloy steel 42CrMo shaft

Exploratory experiments of laser welding cast Ni-based superalloy K418 turbo disk and alloy steel 42CrMo shaft were conducted. Microstructure of the welded seam was characterized by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS). Mechanical properties of the welded seam were evaluated by microhardness and tensile strength testing. The corresponding mechanisms were discussed in detail. Results showed that the laser-welded seam had non-equilibrium solidified microstructures consisting of FeCr0.29Ni0.16C0.06 austenite solid solution dendrites as the dominant and some fine and dispersed Ni3Al gamma' phase and Laves particles as well as little amount of MC short stick or particle-like carbides distributed in the interdendritic regions. The average microhardness of the welded seam was relatively uniform and lower than that of the base metal due to partial dissolution and suppression of the strengthening phase gamma' to some extent. About 88.5% tensile strength of the base metal was achieved in the welded joint because of a non-full penetration welding and the fracture mechanism was a mixture of ductility and brittleness. The existence of some Laves particles in the welded seam also facilitated the initiation and propagation of the microcracks and microvoids and hence, the detrimental effects of the tensile strength of the welded joint. The present results stimulate further investigation on this field. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dissimilar autogenous full penetration welding of superalloy K418 and 42CrMo steel by a high power CWNd : YAG laser

Experiments of autogenous laser full penetration welding between dissimilar cast Ni-based superalloy K418 and alloy steel 42CrMo flat plates with 3.5 mm thickness were conducted using a 3 kW continuous wave (CW) Nd:YAG laser. The influences of laser welding velocity, flow rate of side-blow shielding gas, defocusing distance were investigated. Microstructure of the welded seam was characterized by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). Mechanical properties of the welded seam were evaluated by microhardness and tensile strength testing. Results show that high quality full penetration laser-welded joint can be obtained by optimizing the welding velocity, flow rate of shielding gas and defocusing distance. The laser-welded seam have non-equilibrium solidified microstructures consisting of gamma-FeCr0.29Ni0.16C0.06 austenite solid solution dendrites as the dominant and very small amount of super-fine dispersed Ni3Al gamma' phase and Laves particles as well as MC needle-like carbides distributed in the interdendritic regions. Although the microhardness of the laser-welded seam was lower than that of the base metal, the strength of the joint was equal to that of the base metal and the fracture mechanism showed fine ductility. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Composites of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) and the surface modified carbonated hydroxyapatite nanoparticles

To improve the mechanical properties of the composites of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA, LA/GA = 80/20) and the carbonate hydroxyapatite (CHAP) particles, the rice-form or claviform CHAP particles with 30-40 nm in diameter and 100-200 nm in length were prepared by precipitation method. The uncalcined CHAP particles have a coarse surface with a lot of global protuberances, which could be in favor of the interaction of the matrix polymer to the CHAP particles. The nanocomposites of PLGA and surface grafted CHAP particles (g-CHAP) were prepared by solution mixing method. The structure and properties of the composites were subsequently investigated by the emission scanning electron microscopy, the tensile strength testing, and the cell culture. When the contents of g-CHAP were in the range of 2-15 wt %, the PLGA/g-CHAP nanocomposites exhibited an improved elongation at break and tensile strength. At the 2 wt % content of g-CHAP, the fracture strain was increased to 20%) from 4-5% for neat PLGA samples. Especially at g-CHAP content of 15 wt %, the tensile strength of PLGA/g-CHAP composite was about 20% higher than that of neat PLGA materials. The tensile moduli of composites were increased with the increasing of filler contents, so that the g-CHAP particles had both reinforcing and toughening effects on the PLGA composites. The results of biocompatibility test showed that the higher g-CHAP contents in PLGA composite facilitated the adhesion and proliferation properties of osteoblasts on the PLGA/g-CHAP composite film.

Functional and Physiological Determinants of Perceived Disability in Individuals Diagnosed with Osteoarthritis of the Hip

Objectives: The main objective of this pilot study was to investigate which standardized functional and physiological test best predicted perceived disability in a single group of 21 individuals diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the hip. Design: Men and women between 60 and 70 years old with osteoarthritis of the hip were selected. If participants passed study criteria, the Western Ontario McMaster University questionnaire (WOMAC), 6 Minute Walk Test (6MWT) and Timed up and Go (TUG), strength testing and aerobic testing were obtained in one single assessment. Results: Regression analysis revealed that wait time, hip abduction strength of the affected side, Aerobic Capacity (VO2 Peak), hip Extension Peak Torque, hip Flexion Peak Torque, TUG and 6MWT were significantly correlated with the WOMAC. Yet, the 6MWT had the highest significant correlation (r = -0.86, p ≤ 0.0001); R2 = 0.75 or 75% with the WOMAC total scores, (r = -0.82, p ≤ 0.0001); R2 = 0.67 or 67% with the WOMAC function and (r = -0.60, p = .002); R2 = 0.36 or 36% with the WOMAC stiffness. While the VO2 Peak revealed the highest significant correlation (r = 0.76, p ≤ .0001); R2 = 0.57 or 57% with the WOMAC pain. Conclusions: The 6MWT and the VO2 Peak seem to be essential functional and physiological assessment tools to determine perceived disability in individuals with hip OA. The perceived disability may provide new or comprehensive knowledge of the disability problems experienced by individuals with osteoarthritis of the hip, and the association of patient perception with objective measures of functional and physiological capacity might strengthen the clinical value of this knowledge.

Effect of osteoporosis on bone mineral density and fracture repair in a rat femoral fracture model

Osteoporosis (OP) is one of the most prevalent bone diseases worldwide with bone fracture the major clinical consequence. The effect of OP on fracture repair is disputed and although it might be expected for fracture repair to be delayed in osteoporotic individuals, a definitive answer to this question still eludes us. The aim of this study was to clarify the effect of osteoporosis in a rodent fracture model. OP was induced in 3-month-old rats (n = 53) by ovariectomy (OVX) followed by an externally fixated, mid-diaphyseal femoral osteotomy at 6 months (OVX group). A further 40 animals underwent a fracture at 6 months (control group). Animals were sacrificed at 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks postfracture with outcome measures of histology, biomechanical strength testing, pQCT, relative BMD, and motion detection. OVX animals had significantly lower BMD, slower fracture repair (histologically), reduced stiffness in the fractured femora (8 weeks) and strength in the contralateral femora (6 and 8 weeks), increased body weight, and decreased motion. This study has demonstrated that OVX is associated with decrease in BMD (particularly in trabecular bone) and a reduction in the mechanical properties of intact bone and healing fractures. The histological, biomechanical, and radiological measures of union suggest that OVX delayed fracture healing. (C) 2007 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals.

Monitoring and repair of an impact damaged prestressed bridge

This paper details the monitoring and repair of an impact damaged prestressed concrete bridge. The repair was required following an impact from a low-loader carrying an excavator while passing underneath the bridge. The repair was carried out by preloading the bridge in the vicinity of the damage to relieve some prestressing. This preload was removed following the hardening and considerable strength gain of the repair material. The true behaviour of damaged prestressed concrete bridges during repair is difficult to estimate theoretically due to lack of benchmarking and inadequacy of assumed damage models. A network of strain gauges at locations of interest was thus installed during the entire period of repair. Effects of various activities were qualitatively and quantitatively observed. The interaction and rapid, model-free calibration of damaged and undamaged beams, including identification of damaged gauges were also probed. This full scale experiment is expected to be of interest and benefit to the practising engineer and the researcher alike.