Biomedical Ti–Mo Alloys with Surface Machined and Modified by Laser Beam: Biomechanical,Histological, and Histometric Analysis in Rabbits

Purpose: In vivo bone response was assessed by removal torque, hystological and histometrical analysis on a recently developed biomedical Ti‐15Mo alloy, after surface modification by laser beam irradiation, installed in the tibia of rabbits. Materials and Methods: A total of 32 wide cylindrical Ti‐15Mo dental implants were obtained (10 mm × 3.75 mm). The implants were divided into two groups: 1) control samples (Machined surface – MS) and 2) implants with their surface modified by Laser beam‐irradiation (Test samples – LS). Six implants of each surface were used for removal torque test and 10 of each surface for histological and histometrical analysis. The implants were placed in the tibial metaphyses of rabbits. Results: Average removal torque was 51.5 Ncm to MS and >90 Ncm to LS. Bone‐to‐implant‐contact percentage was significantly higher for LS implants both in the cortical and marrow regions. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that laser treated Ti‐15Mo alloys are promising materials for biomedical application.     

Leptin as a link between the immune system and kidney‐related diseases: leading actor or just a coadjuvant?

Food intake and nutritional status modify the physiological responses of the immune system to illness and infection and regulate the development of chronic inflammatory processes, such as kidney disease. Adipose tissue secretes immune‐related proteins called adipokines that have pleiotropic effects on both the immune and neuroendocrine systems, linking metabolism and immune physiology. Leptin, an adipose tissue‐derived adipokine, displays a variety of immune and physiological functions, and participates in several immune responses. Here, we review the current literature on the role of leptin in kidney diseases, linking adipose tissue and the immune system with kidney‐related disorders. The modulation of this adipose hormone may have a major impact on the treatment of several immune‐ and metabolic‐related kidney diseases.     

Femtosecond laser-assisted implantation of corneal stroma lenticule for keratoconus

International Ophthalmology - To review recent progress, challenges, and future perspectives of stromal keratophakia for the treatment of advanced keratoconus. We systematically reviewed the...     

Age assessment based on dental calcification in individuals with Down syndrome

It is important to estimate both chronological age (CA) and maturational age of an individual, in order to perform orthopedic treatment or surgery, and in cases of lost documentation. Use of dental age (DA) for these purposes has been widely studied; however, the literature is scarce with regard to individuals with Down syndrome (DS), a prevalent condition worldwide. In this study the chronology of dental maturation was evaluated by analyzing the DA of individuals with DS based on the Chronological Mineralization Table proposed by Nolla (1960). Thus, second molars were evaluated in 57 panoramic radiographs of male and female individuals with DS, between 5 and 16 years-old. These data were compared with a control group of 191 nonsyndromic individuals of the same age group. Correlation between CA and DA was ascertained using Pearson's correlation coefficient (r), and the difference between these variables was measured using Student's t-test for paired samples and the method proposed by Bland and Altman. The difference between DA and CA was compared between the control and DS groups using Student's t-test for independent samples (α = 0.05). DA was slightly lower than the CA; however, this difference was only significant for females. The difference between DA and CA was not significant between individuals with DS and control group (both genders, p = 0.945; males, p = 0.542; females, p = 0.381). We concluded that dental maturation in individuals with DS occurs similarly to that of nonsyndromic individuals.     

Histologic and histomorphometric evaluation of an implant retrieved 8 years after insertion in a sinus augmented with anorganic bovine bone and anorganic bovine matrix associated with a cell-binding peptide: a case report

Few histologic and histomorphometric reports are present in the literature regarding the peri-implant bone response around implants inserted in sinuses grafted with different biomaterials. Anorganic bovine bone (ABB) and anorganic bovine matrix with the addition of an active cell-binding peptide (PepGen P-15) are xenogenic materials that have been reported to present biocompatibility and osteoconductivity. A monolateral sinus augmentation procedure with ABB (50%) and PepGen P-15 (50%) was performed in a 54-year-old man. Two titanium implants with a sandblasted and acid-etched surface were inserted after 6 months. After an additional 6 months, a fixed prosthetic restoration was fabricated. One implant fractured in the coronal portion after an 8-year loading period and was removed using a 5-mm trephine bur. Few particles of both grafting materials were present in the peri-implant bone. No graft material particles were found in contact with the implant surface, and bone was always interposed between the graft materials and surface. No inflammatory cell infiltrate, multinucleated giant cells, or foreign body reaction cells were found. The tissues around the implant were composed of 51.4% ± 4.8% bone, 6.2% ± 0.7% ABB particles, 2.4% ± 0.5% PepGen P-15, and 40.0% ± 7.1% marrow spaces. The bone-implant contact percentage was 78.4% ± 4.1%. A sinus augmentation procedure using ABB and PepGen P-15 produced bone formation with subsequent implant osseointegration, which was still present after 8 years of implant loading.     

Preoperative incisor inclination in patients with Class III dentofacial deformities treated with orthognathic surgery

Our aim was to evaluate cephalometrically the preoperative inclination of the incisors in a group of 50 patients with Class III dentofacial deformities whose immediate preoperative lateral cephalometric radiographs were analysed after they had been treated by maxillary advancement. The radiographs were hand-traced by the same operator who made the cephalometric analysis. Mean values for each measurement were compared with the normal values using Student's t-test (p<0.05). Results showed significantly increased inclination of the upper incisors, with a mean U1-NA angle of 27.58° and a mean U1-PP angle of 116°. The lower incisors were also inclined lingually, with a mean L1-NB angle of 22.53° and a mean IMPA of 83.13°. Thirty-five of the patients had labial inclination of the upper, and 28 lingual inclination of the lower, incisors. Mean inclinations of upper and lower incisors differed from the normal values, and the inclination of the lower incisors was more likely to be decompensated than that of the upper incisors.