Thin Ground Research Articles

Histological and synchrotron radiation-based computed microtomography study of 2 human-retrieved direct laser metal formed titanium implants.

The macroscopic structure of bone has been traditionally studied through x-ray radiography or x-ray tomography. However, the resolution limits of these techniques do not enable the reconstruction of the composite bone architecture at the nanometer level. Compared with histomorphometry, x-ray micro-CT has shown its efficiency in providing nondestructive and rapid 3D images and measurements on bone microstructure. Micro-CT higher resolution has been achieved with synchrotron radiation-based computed microtomography (SRμCT). The aim of this study was a histological and SRμCT analysis of 2 porous titanium implants. Two direct laser metal forming titanium implants were inserted in the posterior maxilla of a patient and retrieved after 2 months. One of these implants was treated to obtain thin ground sections, whereas the other underwent a SRμCT evaluation. The histological results, showing that the implant surface presented superficial debris and particle inclusions in the surrounding tissue close to the bone area, were confirmed by micro-CT investigations. SRμCT allowed high resolution with good sample penetration and depth of focus and an evaluation of the relative arrangement of structures that cannot be determined by 2D imaging.

Compact thin ground plane UWB antenna with dual band stop characteristics

AbstractA compact coplanar waveguide (CPW)‐fed convex hexagonal‐shaped ultrawide band (UWB) antenna, with L‐shaped thin ground plane for lower frequency band stop function and tapered rectangular vertical slot in radiating patch for upper frequency band stop is presented. The proposed antenna of dimension 40 × 22 × 1.6 mm3 provides good impedance matching over dual operational UWB resonating at 5.4 and 9.6 GHz with fractional bandwidth 69.54 and 33.83%, respectively. The lower frequency stop band in the vicinity of 2.4 GHz and higher frequency stop band in the vicinity of 7 GHz has bandwidth of 3.17 and 1.8 GHz, respectively, to avoid the interference of PCS, GSM 800/1900, ISM, WLAN, and X‐band satellite uplink (7.25–7.75 GHz) and downlink (7.9–8.4 GHz) communication system. The E‐plane radiation pattern observed is bidirectional in nature due to CPW feed and that of the H‐plane pattern is omnidirectional. The resonating lower and higher UWB achieves the peak gain 2.16 and 6.5 dBi, respectively. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:1045–1049, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27470

A histomorphometric analysis of the nature of the mandibular canal in the anterior molar region

Knowledge of the position and configuration of the mandibular canal is a basic requirement before implant placement in the mandible. Radiological studies suggest a positive correlation between alveolar trabecular bone quality and mandibular canal corticalization. The aim of this study was to test this assumption histomorphometrically in the anterior molar region, which is one of the most frequent places for implantation. Fifty thin ground sections (from 28 male and 22 female cadavers) of the first molar region were investigated for trabecular bone volume and thickness and the presence of a mandibular canal wall. Trabecular bone volume was significantly higher in males (p = 0.009). Further, it correlated significantly with the presence of a canal wall (rho = 0.585, p < 0.001), indicating that a reduced trabecular bone volume is associated with a reduced amount of bone surrounding the alveolar nerve. The cranial aspects of the canal wall were present at a significantly lower frequency (64.64%) than the buccal, lingual, or caudal sides (p < 0.006). The present study demonstrated that low trabecular bone volume correlates with only a fragmentarily present mandibular canal wall. This suggests that bone surrounding the alveolar nerve is of trabecular, not cortical, origin and possibly affected by reduction of the trabecular bone. These results imply that oral surgeons should pay particular attention to implant placement in patients with low alveolar bone quality. The cranial aspects of the mandibular canal might be only fragmentarily or even completely missing. Consequently, they hardly present resistance during implant site preparation, and the risk for nerve injury, e.g., due to post-surgery hematoma, could be increased.

Osseointegration of hydroxyapatite and remodeling‐resorption of tricalciumphosphate ceramics

Cancellous bone defects surrounded by still intact bone structures never heal. Ceramics offer a solution providing osteoconductive scaffolds. The purpose of the study is to evaluate whether structured β-TCP and HA implants can reconstruct cancellous bone defects, which role micro- and macro-porosity, stiffness and surface area play; finally the indication for both materials based on its resorbability. 10 German Shepard dogs were operated on both tibial heads implanting shell-like fully interconnected ceramic cylinders, using a wet grinding hollow drill coated with diamonds. β-TCP was compared with HA. A polychromatic sequential labelling with 4 different fluorochromes controlled bone formation dynamics. Non-decalcifying histology after perfusion fixation and vessel casting was performed. μ-CT was combined with high resolution microradiography and histology on thin ground crossections. The stages after 6 weeks, 2, 3, 4 months and 15 months were evaluated. In spite of osseointegration of HA and β-TCP, the osseointegration of both materials was completely different. Both shell-like bone void fillers were osseointegrated in a sandwich-like manner. HA yielded primarily a reinforcement of the recipient's cancellous-bone bed and full osseointegration after 4 months, whereas β-TCP-implants were fully osseointegrated after 6 weeks. HA did not show signs of resorption. The resorption of the β-TCP resulted during remodelling. The final stage showed restitution "ad integrum" of the β-TCP defects with a physiological architecture, whereas HA was integrated in the cancellous bone construction providing 600 μm measuring macropores showing osteoinductive properties.

Uman Dental Implants with a Sandblasted, Acid-Etched Surface Retrieved After 5 and 10 Years: A Light and Scanning Electron Microscopy Evaluation of Two Cases

The aim of the present study was a light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) evaluation of the peri-implant tissues around sandblasted, acid-etched implants, retrieved from man, after a loading period of 5 and 10 years, respectively. Two implants (Leone Implant System) had been retrieved for a fracture of the prosthetic superstructure respectively after 5 and 10 years of loading. Both implants were stable before retrieval and had been retrieved using a 5-mm trephine bur. One implant was treated to obtain thin ground sections, while the other underwent evaluation under SEM. Compact, mature lamellar bone was present over most of the implant perimeter in close contact with the implant surface and with many remodeling areas. Under SEM, small concavities, completely filled by mineralized bone, were present on the implant surface. The present histologic results showed that these implants were well integrated over the long term, and the peri-implant bone was undergoing continuous remodeling at the interface.

Peri-implant Bone Response Around a Human Hydroxyapatite-Coated Implant Retrieved After a 10-Year Loading Period: A Case Report

This case report presents a histologic and histomorphometric evaluation of the peri-implant tissues of a HA-coated implant retrieved due to peri-implantitis after a 10-year loading period. The implant was retrieved with a trephine and treated to obtain thin ground sections. At low-power magnification mostly compact, mature bone with small marrow spaces could be observed at the interface with the implant. The coating was always present in the areas where bone was detected, the bone was always in close contact with the coating, and there was no detachment between the metal and coating or between the coating and bone. Areas of bone remodeling were demonstrated by the presence of many secondary osteons and reversal lines close to the implant surface. The bone-implant contact percentage was 36.3% ± 1.2%. The percentage of the implant surface covered by the HA coating without bone, where bone may have detached during retrieval, was 32.6% ± 2.8%. This HA-coated implant, continued to demonstrate more than adequate BIC after many years of function and the potential to maintain osseointegration in the long term.

Eight-Year Results of Site Retention of Anorganic Bovine Bone and Anorganic Bovine Matrix

The long-term fate of some biomaterials is still unknown, and the reports present in the literature are not conclusive as to whether these biomaterials are resorbed over time or not. Different reports can be found with regard to the resorption behavior of anorganic bovine bone (ABB). The aim of the present study was to provide a comparative histological and histomorphometrical evaluation, in the same patient, of 2 specimens retrieved from a sinus augmented with ABB and with anorganic bovine matrix added to a cell-binding peptide (PepGen P-15), respectively, after a healing period of 6 months and after 8 years of implant loading, to evaluate the resorption of both biomaterials. A unilateral sinus augmentation procedure with ABB (50%) and with PepGen P-15 (50%) was performed in a 54-year-old male patient. Two titanium dental implants with a sandblasted and acid-etched surface were inserted after 6 months. During this procedure, 2 tissue cores were retrieved from the sinus with a trephine, before implant insertion. After an additional 6 months, a fixed prosthetic restoration was fabricated. One of these implants, after a loading period of 8 years, fractured in the coronal portion and was removed. Both specimens, one retrieved after a 6-month healing period and the other after an 8-year loading period, were treated to obtain thin ground sections. In the 6-month specimen, the histomorphometry showed that the percentage of newly formed bone was 27.2% ± 3.6%, marrow spaces 35.6% ± 2.3%, residual ABB particles 25.1% ± 1.2%, and residual PepGen P-15 particles 12.1% ± 2.2%. In the 8-year specimen, the histomorphometry showed that the percentage of newly formed bone was 51.4% ± 4.8%, marrow spaces 40% ± 7.1%, residual ABB particles 6.2% ± 0.7%, and residual PepGen P-15 particles 2.4% ± 0.5%. Both biomaterials underwent significant resorption over the course of this study.

Comparative histological results of different biomaterials used in sinus augmentation procedures: a human study at 6 months

Various grafts or combination of graft materials have been used in sinus floor augmentations, and human histological reports on their performance are available, although limited in number. Histological analysis of the regenerated tissues will provide useful information regarding the nature and amount of newly formed bone. Aim of the present study was a histological and histomorphometric evaluation, in humans, of specimens retrieved from sinuses augmented with phycogene hydroxyapatite, biphasic calcium phosphate ceramics, calcium carbonate, porcine bone and anorganic bovine bone, after a healing period of 6 months. A total of 15 patients, undergoing 30 sinus augmentation procedures with five different biomaterials, participated in this study. A total of 82 titanium dental implants were inserted in the augmented sinuses after a healing period of 6 months. A total of 60 bone cores, 2 for each augmented sinus, 12 for every biomaterial, were retrieved and all were stored immediately in 10% buffered formalin and processed to obtain thin ground sections. In all biomaterials, many grafted particles were lined and, sometimes, bridged by newly formed bone. Some biomaterials particles appeared to be partially resorbed and substituted by newly formed bone. Histomorphometry showed that, in all biomaterials, newly formed bone and residual grafted material particles represented about 30%. Longer term histological and histomorphometric studies will be necessary to understand better the resorption times of all these biomaterials. The high interconnecting microporosity allowed, in all the present biomaterials, the ingrowth of newly formed bone and vessels in the pores of the partially resorbed particles. In conclusion, within the limitations of the present study, the data provided support the fact that all these biomaterials can be used, successfully, in sinus augmentation procedures.

A study on characteristics of EM radiation from stripline structure

[1] In recent years, effective methods for predicting and suppressing electromagnetic interference over a broad band are required. In this paper, we focus on the prediction of electromagnetic (EM) radiation from a stripline structure with a ground thin wire by an equivalent circuit model. First, frequency responses of common-mode (CM) current on the printed circuit board and EM radiation are studied with finite difference time domain modeling. Secondly, an equivalent circuit model for predicting CM current is proposed. The equivalent circuit model for prediction is based on the concepts of CM antenna impedance, distributed constant circuit, and electric coupling between the power plane and the thin ground wire. Good agreement between the predicted and full-wave analysis results indicates the validity of the proposed equivalent circuit model. The frequency response of EM radiation from the stripline structure can be identified using our proposed model. In addition, the equivalent circuit model provides enough flexibility for different geometric parameters and can be used to develop physical insights and design guidelines.

Sarcocystis sinensis is an ultrastructurally distinct parasite of water buffalo that can cause foodborne illness but cannot complete its life-cycle in human beings

In this study, we compared the morphology of Sarcocystis sinensis and Sarcocystis hominis, and assessed the infectiousness of S. sinensis for human volunteers. The cysts of S. sinensis were from water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and those of S. hominis were from cattle (Bos taurus). Transmission electron microscopy of S. sinensis cysts revealed that the cyst wall had leaning, finger-like protrusions measuring 1.44–5.08μm in length and without invaginations on the tip surface of the protrusions. In contrast, the cyst wall of S. hominis had upright, finger-like protrusions measuring 9.43μm×2.42μm and with vesicle-like invaginations on the tip surface of the protrusions. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that surface of the protrusions was arranged as rectangles in S. sinensis, as compared to tongue-shaped in S. hominis. Other distinguishing features of S. sinensis include a thin ground substrate (GS) zone with microtubules and small, circle-like structures located at the base of the protrusions. Human volunteers, after consuming S. sinensis cysts, produced no sporocysts or oocysts in feces, suggesting that humans could not serve as definitive hosts for S. sinensis. By contrast, many sporocysts and oocysts were passed in feces of a human volunteer 11–29 days after ingestion of S. hominis cysts. These results showed that S. sinensis and S. hominis are separate species and S. sinensis cannot use human being as the definitive host.

Effect of Dehiscences to the Bone Response of Implants With an Acid-Etched Surface: An Experimental Study in Miniature Pigs

Spontaneous early exposure of submerged implants during the healing phase as a factor for early crestal bone loss around the implants is still being controversially discussed. The aim of this study was to examine the potential impact of dehiscences on the osseointegration process of acid-etched dental implants with a shortened healing period in the maxilla. Five animals received a total of 15 titanium implants 8 weeks postextraction. Eight of these implants were placed in the maxilla to osseointegrate within a shortened healing period of 3 months, whereas the remaining implants were inserted in the lower jaw and served as controls with a regular healing time. Polyfluorochrome sequential labeling with xylenol orange, calcein green, and alizarin complexone was performed 2, 5, and 8 weeks after implant placement. After 12 weeks of unloaded and submerged healing, the animals were killed and the implants removed en bloc. After the processing of the undecalcified PMMA-embedded samples, thin ground sections (40-60 µm) were made. The histomorphometric determination of the bone-to-implant contact (BIC) was calculated using light microscopy. The peri-implant bone apposition rate and the direction of bone growth were determined with the fluorescence microscope. For statistical evaluation, the Mann-Whitney U test, Wilcoxon signed ranks test, and Friedman test were chosen. During the healing period, nonartificial dehiscences were observed at 9 implants. The average BIC was 54.19% (14.51%-68.97%). There were significantly lower BIC rates detected for the cervical part of the implants compared with the middle part. An influence of dehiscences on the osseointegration could not be proven. There were no significant differences between the BIC values of the upper and lower jaw. During the observation period from the third to the eighth week after implantation, the average new bone formation rate was 2.32 µm/d (1.76-2.82 µm/d). During this period, the amount of new bone growth decreased insignificantly. Based on the sequence of the polyfluorochrome labeling, an implantopetal (53.03%) as well as an implantofugal bone growth (46.97%) have been observed. It could be assumed that the acid-etched implants offered a prerequisite to osseointegrate under a shortened healing period. The observed dehiscences seemed not to have compromised the rate of osseointegration.

Antiepileptic drugs and suicidality: finding ways forward

More than 2 years after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fi rst alerted health-care providers to “an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours (suicidality)” in patients taking antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), the debate is still simmering over the agency’s decision to add warnings to the entire class of medications. But the process has forced the epilepsy community to focus on the factors that contribute to psychiatric disorders in patients with epilepsy, and the need to detect and treat these devastating comorbidities. The FDA’s safety alert in January, 2008, was based on an analysis of suicidality data from 199 randomised, placebo-controlled trials of 11 AEDs. “There was tremendous consistency across the drugs”, says Russell Katz, director of the Division of Neurology Products at the FDA. “For eight out of the 11 drugs, there was what we would call a numerical increase” in the incidence of suicidality. “And the overall estimate of suicidality, when we included all 11 drugs, was statistically signifi cant.” Katz explains that “because these drugs act in so many diff erent ways pharmacologically, that argued strongly for applying the fi nding to all drugs in the class”. At a public meeting held in July, 2008, a committee of independent advisers voted against the addition of a black-box warning—the FDA’s strongest warning—to AEDs amid fears that this might discourage patients from taking their medication and that the threat of litigation might lead to a fall in the prescribing of these drugs. Rochelle Caplan, a paediatric neuropsychiatrist at the University of California, Los Angeles, USA, who was a member of the advisory panel, explains that “the risks of not taking the medication, including death, are much higher” in patients with epilepsy than the risk of suicidality that might be associated with AEDs. In December, 2008, on the advice of the panel, the FDA announced that a less stringent warning would be added to the labelling of all drugs with an antiepilepsy claim, and that the manufacturers of AEDs would develop Medication Guides to explain the risk of suicidality to patients and their families.

Peri-implant bone reactions around immediately loaded conical implants with different prosthetic suprastructures: histological and histomorphometrical study on minipigs

The aim of this study was to evaluate peri-implant bone reactions around immediately loaded conical implants with metal and acrylic resin prosthetic restorations. Five splinted conical implants were inserted in each hemimandible of six minipigs at the alveolar crest level. Ten implants were inserted in each minipig. All the implants were immediately loaded. The implants were divided into a group with an acrylic resin prosthetic restoration and into another group with a metal prosthetic restoration. No postoperative complications or deaths of the minipigs occurred. All minipigs were killed after 3 months. No implant was lost. A total of 60 implants were retrieved and processed to obtain thin ground sections. Histology and histomorphometry showed the presence of compact, mature bone around all the implants. Bone was in close contact with the implant surface starting from the first or second implant threads. A high quantity of mineralized bone was present around immediately loaded conical, root form implants. No differences in the peri-implant bone response were found in the groups with different prosthetic reconstructions.

Osteocyte Density in the Peri‐Implant Bone of Immediately Loaded and Submerged Dental Implants

The role of osteocytes in bone structure and function remains partially unresolved. Their participation in mechanotransduction, i.e., the conversion of a physical stimulus into a cellular response, has been hypothesized. The present study was an evaluation of the osteocyte density in the peri-implant bone of immediately loaded and submerged dental implants. Fourteen male patients were included in the study; all of them were partially edentulous and needed a posterior mandibular restoration. Implants were inserted in these areas; half of the sample was loaded immediately (included in a fixed provisional prosthesis on the same day as implant surgery), whereas the other half was left to heal submerged. Fourteen implants (seven immediately loaded and seven unloaded) were retrieved with a trephine after a healing period of 8 weeks. The specimens were treated to obtain thin ground sections, and histomorphometry was used to evaluate the osteocyte index in the peri-implant bone. A higher and statistically significant number of osteocytes was found in the peri-implant bone around immediately loaded implants (P = 0.0081). A correlation between the percentage of bone-implant contact and osteocyte density was found for immediately loaded implants (P = 0.0480) but not for submerged implants (P = 0.2667). The higher number of osteocytes in the peri-implant bone around immediately loaded implants could be related to the functional adaptation required by the loading stimulus, which also explains the hypothesized involvement of the osteocytes in the maintenance of the bone matrix.

Dealing with Weak Instruments: An Application to the Protection for Sale Model

Endogeneity of explanatory variables is now receiving the concern it deserves in the empirical political science literature. Instrumental variables (IVs) estimators, such as two-stage least squares (2SLS), are the primary means for tackling this problem. These estimators solve the endogeneity problem by “instrumenting” the endogenous regressors using exogenous variables (the instruments). In many applications, a problem that the IV approach must overcome is that of weak instruments (WIs), where the instruments only weakly identify the regression coefficients of interest. With WIs, the infinite-sample properties (e.g., consistency) used to justify the use of estimators like 2SLS are on thin ground because these estimators have poor small-sample properties. Specifically, they may suffer from excessive bias and/or Type I error. We highlight the WI problem in the context of empirical testing of “protection for sale” model that predicts the cross-sectional pattern of trade protection as a function of political organization, imports and output. These variables are endogenous. Importantly, the instruments used to solve the endogeneity problem are weak. A method better suited to exact inference with WIs is the limited information maximum likelihood (LIML) estimator. Censoring in the dependent variable in the application requires a nonlinear Tobit LIML estimator.

Diagnostic value of micro‐CT in comparison with histology in the qualitative assessment of historical human skull bone pathologies

Cases of pathologically changed bone might constitute a diagnostic pitfall and frequently need histological methods to be etiologically properly evaluated. With micro-computed tomography (microCT), a new epoch of 2D and 3D imaging has been launched. We evaluated the diagnostic investigation of this analytical method versus well established histological investigations of historical human bone. Pathological changes due to various etiologies (infectious, traumatic, endocrinological, neoplasia) observed in autopsy-based macerated human skulls (Galler Collection, Natural History Museum Basel, Switzerland) were investigated by microCT and compared with histological thin ground sections using polarized light. Micro-CT images visualize the architecture of the bone with high spatial resolution without preparation or destruction of the sample in the area to be sectioned. Changes in the bone surfaces as well as alterations of the diploë can be assessed. However, morphological patterns caused by reactive response, such as typical arrangements of collagen fibers, can only be visualized by the microscopic investigation of thin ground sections using polarized light. A great advantage of microCT is the high number of slices obtained so that spatial differences within the areas of the specimen become visible. Micro-CT is a valuable tool for the diagnosis of vestiges of skull bone diseases. Its advantages over histology are the fast, automated image acquisition and the fact that the specimen is not completely destroyed. Only excision of the area to be scanned is necessary, if the specimen is too large to be scanned as a whole. Further, the 3D visualization of the micro-architecture allows an easy orientation within the sample, for example, for the choice of the location of the histological slices. However, the need to differentiate woven from lamellar bone still makes histology an indispensable method.

Two Human Hydroxyapatite‐Coated Dental Implants Retrieved After a 14‐Year Loading Period: A Histologic and Histomorphometric Case Report

Controversy over the long-term clinical effectiveness of hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated dental implants still persists, despite numerous clinical studies documenting high survival rates. Concerns about the degradation of the coating over the years have been raised; it has been speculated that resorption of the HA could produce a space between the implant and the bone with a resultant mechanical instability. Two HA-coated implants were retrieved due to a fracture of the abutment screws after a loading period of 14 years and were treated to obtain thin ground sections for histologic evaluation. At low-power magnification, it was possible to observe that the HA coating was in contact with mature bone. No gaps or connective fibrous tissue was found at the implant-bone interface. No epithelial downgrowth was present. No acute or chronic inflammatory cell infiltrate was present at the implant-bone interface. No foreign body reaction was present in the peri-implant tissues. Some osteocytes were in direct contact with the coating. For implant 1, the percentage of bone-titanium contact was 25% +/- 2.1%, and the percentage of bone-HA contact was 35% +/- 1.4%. The total bone-implant contact was approximately 60%. The HA coating appeared to be resorbed in 46% +/- 3.2% of the implant perimeter, especially in the coronal portions of the implant. For implant 2, the mean percentage of bone-HA contact was 13% +/- 1.8%, and the mean percentage of bone-titanium contact was 15% +/- 2.3%. The total bone-implant contact was approximately 28%. The HA coating appeared to be resorbed for a mean of 68% +/- 4.1% of the implant perimeter, especially in the coronal portion of the implant. No acute or chronic inflammatory cell infiltrate was present in the peri-implant tissues. No signs of coating infection, fatigue, or failure were observed in two specimens. The HA coating may not be susceptible to degradation or dissolution under long-term function.

Correlation between Implant Stability Quotient (ISQ) with Clinical and Histological Aspects of Dental Implants Removed for Mobility

Dental implants are a successful treatment modality for missing teeth; however, failures do occur. These failures can occur early in the healing process after primary stability has been achieved at the time of implant placement, or after initial bone remodeling and new bone growth have taken place. The ability to detect implants that are failing or will fail is still not possible. The aim of the present study is to see if correlations exist between RFA values and histologic and histochemical evaluation of the human retrieved implants for failure. In a 5 year period, 37 root form implants were retrieved because of mobility and underwent histological examination. Thin ground sections were obtained from each implant. All the implants had been removed with a 5 mm trephine. In all cases a peri-implant radiolucency was present. Before implant retrieval, the implant stability was evaluated with Osstell (Integration Diagnostics AB, Gothenburg, Sweden). All the implants were not osseointegrated clinically and mobility was present. Radiographically, bone loss was observed around the implants and the mean ISQ values was 37 (+/- 2.7). A scarce inflammatory cell infiltrate was present in the connective tissue of some specimens. In about 10 percent of specimens, the epithelium tended to surround the total perimeter of the implant. These data suggest that implants with an ISQ<40 are irretrievably lost and there is no possibility to save them. A statistically significant correlation was found between an ISQ<36 and irretrievably failed implants.

Thermomechanical Degradation of SBR During Ultrasonic Treatment under the Static Conditions

Abstract The paper presents the results of experimental and theoretical studies of the ultrasonic treatment of ground vulcanized unfilled styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) in a static device (no flow). Degradation of the rubber network took place during the treatment. Crosslink density and gel fraction were measured in the samples ultrasonically treated at various pressures, ultrasonic amplitudes and exposure times. Consumption of the ultrasonic energy was also monitored. The structural characteristics of SBR ultrasonically treated under static conditions have been found to be significantly different from those reported previously for the continuous process. Theoretical calculations have demonstrated that the observed differences could be attributed to a partial depolymerization of broken rubber chains caused by a significant temperature rise in the course of ultrasonic treatment under static conditions. It has also been shown that the non-linearity of compressibility of a thin ground rubber layer has to be taken into account in the calculations of ultrasonic power consumption.

Bone-defect healing with calcium-sulfate particles and cement: an experimental study in rabbit.

Calcium sulfate (CaS) has been shown to be a reasonable alternative to autogenous bone graft for treating bone lesions in dentistry. The aim of this work was an histological study of the bone healing of defects treated with calcium sulfate in the form of cement or beads, in animal. Eight New Zealand rabbits, weighing about 2.5 Kg were used in this study. In each rabbit, four 6 mm bone defects were created in the tibial metaphysis. The 2 defects in the right tibia were filled with calcium sulfate as cement, while the 2 defects in the left one were filled with calcium sulfate as beads. Four rabbits were killed after respectively 2 and 4 weeks, with an intravenous injection of Tanax, and the block sections, containing the bone defects, were retrieved. A total of 16 defects filled by cement and a total of 16 defects filled by beads were retrieved. The specimens were processed to obtain thin ground sections with the Precise 1 Automated System. In the first phases of healing it was possible to observe an intense osteoblastic activity, and in some areas osteoid matrix was present. After two weeks the calcium sulfate (both cement and beads) was still present, and biological fluids and cells were present inside the material. Newly formed bone surrounded the calcium sulfate and filled about 10% of the defect. After four weeks the calcium sulfate was almost completely resorbed and substituted by new bone. Approximately 34% of the defects were filled by newly formed bone. BEI and XRM evaluations showed the structural components of the filled defects. In none of the specimens were inflammatory cells present. No significant differences were found using both calcium sulfate as cement and beads, and they both have shown a high biocompatibility, appearing to promote newly bone formation in the rabbit model, and they did not induce any untoward effect on the bone regeneration processes.