Chromatic stability of acrylic resins of artificial eyes submitted to the accelerated aging and polishing

Esthetics and durability of materials used to fabricate artificial eyes has been an important issue since artificial eyes are essential to restore esthetics and function, protect the remaining tissues and help with patients' psychological therapy. However, these materials are submitted to degrading effects of environmental agents on the physical properties of the acrylic resin. OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the color stability of acrylic resins used to fabricate sclera in three basic shades (N1, N2 and N3) when subjected to accelerated aging, mechanical and chemical polishing. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Specimens of each resin were fabricated and submitted to mechanical and chemical polishing. Chromatic analysis was performed before and after accelerated aging through ultraviolet reflection spectrophotometry. RESULTS: All specimens revealed color alteration following polishing and accelerated aging. The resins presented statistically significant chromatic alteration (p<0.01) between the periods of 252 and 1008 h. CONCLUSIONS: Both polishing methods presented no significant difference between the values of color derivatives of resins.

Emprego de prótese intra-ocular de resina acrílica. Estudo experimental em ratos

Foram eviscerados os globos oculares esquerdos de 32 ratos, linhagem Wistar, divididos em quatro grupos (A, B, C, D) constituídos, cada um, de cinco testemunhas e três controles. Nos animais-testemunha introduziu-se, dentro da capa córneo-escleral, uma esfera de resina acrílica (metilmetacrilato), previamente confeccionada e esterilizada por autoclavagem, ao passo que nos controles a cavidade eviscerada foi mantida sem prótese. Os ratos dos grupos A, B, C e D foram sacrificados respectivamente aos 7, 15, 30 e 90 dias de pós-operatório, quando os conteúdos orbitários esquerdos foram exenterados e preparados para o exame histopatológico. Observou-se que os animais-testemunha tiveram resposta inflamatória do tipo tecido de granulação ao redor da prótese de cavidade, com edema inflamatório da córnea especialmente nos grupos A e B, quando se iniciou a regressão da inflamação aguda. A cavidade orbitária manteve o tamanho em todos os grupos nos animais-testemunha e houve contração significativa nos animais-controle. Com estas observações, foi possível concluir que a esfera de resina acrílica é uma opção, de baixo custo e fácil confecção, para correção de defeito estético causado pela perda do globo ocular.

Avaliação quantitativa das dimensões óculo-palpebrais em portadores de cavidade anoftálmica em uso de prótese ocular externa

OBJETIVOS: Avaliar o posicionamento palpebral em portadores de cavidade anoftálmica com e sem prótese ocular externa, utilizando o processamento de imagem digital. MÉTODOS: Dezoito pacientes foram avaliados qualitativa e quantitativamente na Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu - Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, com e sem a prótese externa. Usando imagens obtidas por filmadora e processadas usando o programa Scion Image, mediu-se a altura do sulco palpebral superior, a altura da fenda palpebral e os ângulos palpebrais dos cantos interno e externo. RESULTADOS: Pseudo-estrabismo e sulco palpebral superior profundo foram as alterações mais freqüentes ao exame externo. Houve diferença significativa em todas as variáveis estudadas, com diminuição da altura do sulco palpebral superior, aumento da área da fenda palpebral e aumento dos ângulos palpebrais interno e externo quando o paciente estava usando a prótese externa. CONCLUSÃO: Todos os pacientes avaliados apresentaram algum tipo de anormalidade órbito-palpebral, o que reflete a dificuldade em se proporcionar ao portador de cavidade anoftálmica um aspecto idêntico ao que existe na órbita normal. O processamento de imagens digitais permitiu avaliação objetiva das dimensões óculo-palpebrais, o que poderá contribuir nas avaliações seqüenciais dos portadores de cavidade anoftálmica.

Mobility, Aesthetic, Implants, and Satisfaction of the Ocular Prostheses Wearers

During the process of facial rehabilitation, the mobility of ocular prostheses must be considered. Whereas some factors depend exclusively on the dentist, such as molding techniques and selection of material for denture construction, regarding ocular rehabilitation, factors, such as type of surgery, whether to adopt implants, and the use of lubricants, deserve special attention owing to their integration and their association with other factors pertaining exclusively to the patient. To establish harmony, and with the intention of aiding the dentist, after a discerning evaluation, the authors of this study report the factors that provide greater or less mobility to ocular prostheses and conceal the prosthesis in a more natural way, thereby contributing toward achieving a favorable aesthetic result in rehabilitations.

Prótese intra-ocular de resina acrílica em cães e gatos

Foram atendidos no Hospital Veterinário da Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Unesp - Campus de Botucatu, 11 animais (oito cães e três gatos), com alterações oftálmicas unilaterais graves que levaram à perda total da função ocular (protrusão de globo com injúria nervosa e estrutural, perfurações de córnea com perda de conteúdo intra-ocular e endoftalmites, entre outras). Os animais, com idades entre dois meses e 10 anos, foram submetidos à evisceração e posterior inclusão de esfera de resina acrílica (metilmetacrilato) na capa córneo-escleral ou escleral. As esferas foram previamente confeccionadas e esterilizadas por autoclavagem. No pós-operatório foram utilizados antiinflamatórios e antibioticoterapia tópica combinada ou não a sistêmica. O período de observação variou de 2 meses a 3 anos e os aspectos avaliados foram secreção ocular, blefarospasmo, sinais de desconforto e estética. Obtiveram-se resultados satisfatórios em oito casos. Concluiu-se que a resina acrílica pode ser uma alternativa para uso como inclusão em cavidade anoftálmica.

Evaluation of polymethylmethacrylate as ocular implant in rabbits subjected to evisceration

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Ocular Reconstruction After Zygomatic Complex Fracture With Retention of a Foreign Body

Facial injuries with the retention of foreign bodies inside the tissues, both in soft and hard ones, can cause major functional and aesthetic damage. Among the different etiological agents, cutting tools, fragments of a firearm, the splinter of wood, steel, or iron, launched by misuse, or even caused by defects in equipment, are the main cause of these injuries. The aim of this study was to discuss the peculiarity of the multidisciplinary approach in caring of a 33-year-old man, victim of an accident at work, by the rupture of an emery disc and consequent penetration of the fragments in violation of the tissues in the orbital and zygomatic region of the left side, with perforation of the eyeball and orbital-zygomatic fracture. Urgent treatment consisted of debridement of wounds, bleeding control, removal of foreign bodies, fracture reduction with rigid internal fixation, and suture, performed by the oral and maxillofacial surgical team. Reconstruction of orbital tissues by the ophthalmology team consisted of suture of the injuries. About 1 month after the trauma, phthisis bulbi was noted, and the patient underwent a new procedure under general anesthesia for eye evisceration and installation of an alloplastic prosthesis associated with the homogenous sclera. Facial harmony was restored, especially in aesthetics and function of the zygomatic-orbital complex.

Color alteration of the paint used for iris painting in ocular prostheses

The purpose of this study was to assess color alteration of the paints used for iris painting in artificial eyes. Five disks of heat cured acrylic resin were confectioned by microwave energy for each paint analyzed, in a total of 40 specimens. Each specimen consisted of a colorless acrylic resin disk and another of equal size, of scleral white colored acrylic resin, with the painting interposed between the two disks. The specimens were submitted to an accelerated aging process in a chamber under ultraviolet radiation for 1,008 hours. To assess color variation, a reflective spectrophotometer was used. The results were statistically analyzed by ANOVA and the Tukey test (p < 0.05). All the paints underwent chromatic alteration. The oil paint presented the highest resistance to accelerated aging.

Efeito do envelhecimento acelerado sobre a microdureza superficial, rugosidade e opacidade de resinas acrílicas incolores termopolimerizáveis e calotas oculares empregadas em prótese ocular, em função da espessura

Pós-graduação em Odontologia - FOA

Protese ocular individualizada em resina acrílica com esfera oca

The technique proposed aims at reducing the weight of individualized ample ocular prostheses using acrylic resins as well as simplifying laboratory procedure. For that, prefabricated hollow spheres made of plastic material, were inserted in the sclera. The average weights of the solid conventional sclera (5.30g) and those of the respective prefabricated plastic ones (3.91g) were compared. The weight reduction was significative with a confidence interval of 95% by the Student t test. ln addition, for illustration purpose, the technique was applied to patients in the ward of the Maxillofacial Prostheses Dicipline of the Dentistry School in the Campus of São José dos Campos - UNESP, having each patient received a solid prosthesis and a hollow prefabricated one made of plastic material. It has been concluded that the prostheses material spheres were inserted are lighter than the ones which received solid spheres; furthermore, thr technique is viable for ample anophtalmic cavities and requires few sessions

Functional outcome and usage of the prosthesis of lower limb amputees fitted with osseointegrated fixation

This study established that the core principle underlying categorisation of activities have the potential to provide more comprehensive outcomes than the recognition of activities because it takes into consideration activities other than directional locomotion.

Peripheral ocular monochromatic aberrations

Aberrations affect image quality of the eye away from the line of sight as well as along it. High amounts of lower order aberrations are found in the peripheral visual field and higher order aberrations change away from the centre of the visual field. Peripheral resolution is poorer than that in central vision, but peripheral vision is important for movement and detection tasks (for example driving) which are adversely affected by poor peripheral image quality. Any physiological process or intervention that affects axial image quality will affect peripheral image quality as well. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of accommodation, myopia, age, and refractive interventions of orthokeratology, laser in situ keratomileusis and intraocular lens implantation on the peripheral aberrations of the eye. This is the first systematic investigation of peripheral aberrations in a variety of subject groups. Peripheral aberrations can be measured either by rotating a measuring instrument relative to the eye or rotating the eye relative to the instrument. I used the latter as it is much easier to do. To rule out effects of eye rotation on peripheral aberrations, I investigated the effects of eye rotation on axial and peripheral cycloplegic refraction using an open field autorefractor. For axial refraction, the subjects fixated at a target straight ahead, while their heads were rotated by ±30º with a compensatory eye rotation to view the target. For peripheral refraction, the subjects rotated their eyes to fixate on targets out to ±34° along the horizontal visual field, followed by measurements in which they rotated their heads such that the eyes stayed in the primary position relative to the head while fixating at the peripheral targets. Oblique viewing did not affect axial or peripheral refraction. Therefore it is not critical, within the range of viewing angles studied, if axial and peripheral refractions are measured with rotation of the eye relative to the instrument or rotation of the instrument relative to the eye. Peripheral aberrations were measured using a commercial Hartmann-Shack aberrometer. A number of hardware and software changes were made. The 1.4 mm range limiting aperture was replaced by a larger aperture (2.5 mm) to ensure all the light from peripheral parts of the pupil reached the instrument detector even when aberrations were high such as those occur in peripheral vision. The power of the super luminescent diode source was increased to improve detection of spots passing through the peripheral pupil. A beam splitter was placed between the subjects and the aberrometer, through which they viewed an array of targets on a wall or projected on a screen in a 6 row x 7 column matrix of points covering a visual field of 42 x 32. In peripheral vision, the pupil of the eye appears elliptical rather than circular; data were analysed off-line using custom software to determine peripheral aberrations. All analyses in the study were conducted for 5.0 mm pupils. Influence of accommodation on peripheral aberrations was investigated in young emmetropic subjects by presenting fixation targets at 25 cm and 3 m (4.0 D and 0.3 D accommodative demands, respectively). Increase in accommodation did not affect the patterns of any aberrations across the field, but there was overall negative shift in spherical aberration across the visual field of 0.10 ± 0.01m. Subsequent studies were conducted with the targets at a 1.2 m distance. Young emmetropes, young myopes and older emmetropes exhibited similar patterns of astigmatism and coma across the visual field. However, the rate of change of coma across the field was higher in young myopes than young emmetropes and was highest in older emmetropes amongst the three groups. Spherical aberration showed an overall decrease in myopes and increase in older emmetropes across the field, as compared to young emmetropes. Orthokeratology, spherical IOL implantation and LASIK altered peripheral higher order aberrations considerably, especially spherical aberration. Spherical IOL implantation resulted in an overall increase in spherical aberration across the field. Orthokeratology and LASIK reversed the direction of change in coma across the field. Orthokeratology corrected peripheral relative hypermetropia through correcting myopia in the central visual field. Theoretical ray tracing demonstrated that changes in aberrations due to orthokeratology and LASIK can be explained by the induced changes in radius of curvature and asphericity of the cornea. This investigation has shown that peripheral aberrations can be measured with reasonable accuracy with eye rotation relative to the instrument. Peripheral aberrations are affected by accommodation, myopia, age, orthokeratology, spherical intraocular lens implantation and laser in situ keratomileusis. These factors affect the magnitudes and patterns of most aberrations considerably (especially coma and spherical aberration) across the studied visual field. The changes in aberrations across the field may influence peripheral detection and motion perception. However, further research is required to investigate how the changes in aberrations influence peripheral detection and motion perception and consequently peripheral vision task performance.