Gastric and masticatory performances in full‐arch immediate loading rehabilitated patients

Full‐arch immediate loading implant rehabilitations provide patients with compromised dentition an effective treatment to improve their aesthetic and function. Aim of this prospective cohort study was to investigate the correlation between masticatory ability and gastric emptying rates among these patients. Ten subjects (five men and five women) with compromised dentition were tested in two occasions: before treatment and 30 days after the immediate loading rehabilitation. Masticatory ability was evaluated using the sieves test, and the gastric half emptying time (T_1/2) was assessed by means of the ¹³C‐octanoic acid breath test. A statistically significant increment (P < 0·005) in masticatory ability was found only in reference to the particles smaller than or equal to 4·75 mm, whereas the gastric emptying rate showed a statistically significant reduction between pre‐ and post‐treatment (P = 0·003). A moderate negative correlation (rho = 0·64, P = 0·048) between the percentage change in masticatory ability and the percentage change in gastric emptying rate was evidenced. Patients with compromised dentition rehabilitated with full‐arch immediate implant prostheses present a significant improvement of the gastric process.     

Elution kinetics,antimicrobial activity,and mechanical properties of 11 different antibiotic loaded acrylic bone cement

Antibiotic-loaded acrylic bone cements (ALABC) spacers are routinely used in the treatment of prosthetic joint infections. The objectives of our study were to evaluate different ALABC for elution kinetics, thermal stability, and mechanical properties. A 10 or 20% mixture (w/w) beads of medium viscosity bone cement (DePuy, Inc) and vancomycin (VAN), gentamycin (GM), daptomycin (DAP), moxifloxacin (MOX), rifampicin (RIF), cefotaxime (CTX), cefepime (FEP), amoxicillin clavulanate (AmC), ampicillin (AMP), meropenem (MER), and ertapenem (ERT) were formed and placed into wells filled with phosphate-buffered saline. Antibiotic concentrations were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. Antimicrobial activity was tested against Micrococcus luteus ATCC 9341 or Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. AmC, AMP, and FEP concentration rapidly decreased after day 2, being almost undetectable at day 4. Sustained and high elution rates were observed with VAN, GM, MOX, and RIF for the 30-day duration of the experiment. DAP, MER, ERT, and CTX elution rates constantly decreased from day 4. All antibiotics tested retained antimicrobial activity proving thermal stability. Mechanical properties of ALABC were maintained except when RIF was used.