Cyclic fatigue resistance of XP-endo Shaper compared with different nickel-titanium alloy instruments.

Abstract

The aims of this study were to assess and compare the resistance to cyclic fatigue of XP-endo Shaper (XPS; FKG Dentaire, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland) instruments with TRUShape (TRS; Dentsply Tulsa Dental Specialties, Tulsa, OK, USA), HyFlex CM (HCM; Coltene, Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA), Vortex Blue (VB; Dentsply Tulsa Dental Specialties), and iRace (iR; FKG Dentaire) nickel-titanium rotary instruments at body temperature. Size 30, 0.01 taper of XPS, size 30, 0.04 taper of HCM, VB, iR, and size 30, 0.06 taper of TRS instruments were immersed in saline at 37±1°C during cyclic fatigue testing. The instruments were tested with 60° angle of curvature and a 3-mm radius of curvature. The number of cycles to failure (NCF) was calculated and the length of the fractured segment was measured. Fractographic examination of the fractured surface was performed using a scanning electron microscope. The data were analyzed statistically using Kruskal-Wallis H test and Mann-Whitney U tests. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05. XPS had a significantly greater NCF compared with the other instruments (P<0.001). The topographic appearance of the fracture surfaces of tested instruments revealed ductile fracture of cyclic fatigue failure. XPS instruments exhibited greater cyclic fatigue resistance compared with the other tested instruments. XP-endo Shaper instruments could be used more safely in curved canals due to their higher fatigue resistance.