Bone augmentation at titanium implants using autologous bone grafts and a bioresorbable barrier. An experimental study in the rabbit tibia

The aim of the present investigation was to compare the effect of using autologous bone particles covered with a bioresorbable matrix barrier with the use of bone particles alone on bone augmentation at titanium implants installed in the rabbit tibia. Two Br?nemark System implants, one in each tibia, were inserted in each of 9 rabbits in such a way that 5 threads were not covered with bone. Autologous bone particles were harvested from the skull and placed over the exposed implant surfaces on each tibia. The bone graft on one tibia was covered with a Guidor Matrix Barrier, while the bone graft on the other tibia served as a control. After a healing period of 12 weeks, the animals were sacrificed and specimens taken for histomorphometrical analyses. The analyses showed that a significantly larger volume of augmented bone tissue had formed at the test sites. There were, however, no differences in the amount of mineralized bone. In fact, the difference in tissue volume was due to an increased amount of bone marrow at the test sites. The degree of mineralized bone to implant contact as well as the degree of mineralized bone within the threads at the test implants were similar to that at the controls. In conclusion, it was found that the coverage of particulate autologous bone grafts with a bioresorbable barrier resulted in a larger volume of augmented bone than the use of bone grafts not covered with a barrier.     

Kinetics of Thermal, Passive Oxidation of Nicalon Fibers

The oxidation of Nicalon fibers is a concern, because of its potential as a reinforcement of high-temperature composites, whose service conditions involve high-temperature, oxidizing environments. Two limiting types of oxidation mechanisms are often used to describe the kinetics: chemical-reaction-controlled oxidation, at small oxide thicknesses, and diffusion-controlled oxidation, at large oxide thicknesses. Neither mechanism can satisfactorily describe the intermediate region where the oxidation kinetics are controlled jointly by both the chemical reaction rate at the interface and the diffusion of oxygen through the oxide layer. To describe the entire oxidation process with a general relationship, one must consider all stages of the oxidation process, namely (i) adsorption of oxygen at the outer surface of the oxide, (ii) diffusion of oxygen from the outer surface toward the interface where oxidation occurs, and (iii) reaction at the interface to form a new layer of oxide. Previously, a very useful general relationship was derived for the oxidation kinetics for a flat plate, which could account for all three stages of oxidation. However, that equation is inadequate to describe the oxidation of cylindrical fibers, because the effective area for oxygen diffusion changes along the diffusion path and the oxidation interfacial area decreases as the oxide thickness increases for cylindrical fibers. In this paper, we have derived a general kinetic relationship for the oxidation of cylindrical fibers, which can account for all stages of oxidation. Comparison of the theory with experimental data of Nicalon fibers shows good agreement.     

Differential immunological aberrations in patients with primary and secondary Sj?gren''s syndrome

PURPOSE: To evaluate the dependence of fine particle dose charge (FPD charge) generated from powder inhalers on physico-chemical properties of the inhalation powder, inhaler type, deaggregation mechanism, dose number and/or retained powder. METHODS: Electrostatic charges were determined on micronized powders and aerosolized fine particle doses withdrawn from two, high efficiency, multidose powder inhalers, Turbohaler and prototype Dryhaler. The behavior of terbutaline sulfate, budesonide, albuterol (sulfate and base), beclomethasone dipropionate and lactose was assessed before and after aerosolization. RESULTS: Both inhalers conferred triboelectric FPD charges during aerosolization in the range -400 pC through +200 pC. Specific charges (charge/unit mass) on the fine particle doses of budesonide from Dryhaler were significantly less than those from Turbohaler (p < 0.01). Electrostatic charges on the potentially respirable cloud of terbutaline sulfate generated by Bricanyl Turbohaler were positive and/or negative and unpredictable. With Pulmicort Turbohaler, FPD charges on budesonide were always positive. Dryhaler was used to determine the chemical dependence of fine particle triboelectrification during the aerosolization of pure materials. A triboelectric series was constructed from the Dryhaler results ranking the powders from positive to negative as budesonide > lactose > albuterol sulfate > terbutaline sulfate > or = albuterol > or = beclomethasone dipropionate. CONCLUSIONS: While there was no evidence of FPD charge dependence upon dose number with either inhaler, FPD charges were dependent upon the powder under investigation, as well as the construction and deaggregation mechanism of the inhaler. The specific charge on the fine particle dose of budesonide from Turbohaler corresponded to approximately 200 electronic charges per particle, a value which is known to affect both total and regional aerosol deposition in the human lung. Electrostatic charge effects may be important determinants of aerosol behavior and should not be neglected.