title: Resistance to vertical fracture of MTA-filled roots.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of MTA root canal fillings on the resistance to vertical root fracture (VRF) over different time intervals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Freshly extracted anterior human teeth with single canals and minimal curvatures were decoronated, instrumented to size 50/.05 ProTaper file, irrigated with 1%NaOCl and randomly allocated to one of three groups (n = 36): (i) filled with MTA, (ii) filled with gutta-percha and sealer and (iii) unfilled roots used as a negative control. Each group was subdivided into three subgroups (n = 12) according to the storage time of 48 h, 1 and 6 months at 37°C in synthetic tissue fluid (STF). Following the storage periods, filled roots were mounted in acrylic supports, and the periodontal ligament was simulated using elastomeric impression material. Vertical loading was carried out with a ball-ended steel cylinder fitted on a universal testing machine at 1 mm/min crosshead speed. The maximum force at fracture (F-max) and the fracture mode were recorded for each root.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data were statistically analysed using two-way anova and Bonferroni post hoc tests. The mean F-max was significantly higher in the MTA subgroups after 1 and 6 months compared with all other subgroups. Two modes of fracture were identified: split and comminuted. The mean F-max values recorded with the latter were significantly higher compared with the former (P < 0.001). In all groups, split fracture was the most dominant mode apart from the MTA/1 month and MTA/6 month groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MTA increases the resistance to VRF of endodontically treated teeth and influences the mode of fracture after 1 and 6 month of storage in STF compared with gutta-percha and sealer.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
authors.forename: Ahmad M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: EL-Ma'aita
authors.forename: Alison J E
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Qualtrough
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Watts
mesh_terms: D017607:Aluminum Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017610:Calcium Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D006801:Humans; D010087:Oxides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials; D017640:Silicates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014082:Tooth Fractures / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D014092:Tooth Root
chemical_list: D017607:Aluminum Compounds; D017610:Calcium Compounds; D004338:Drug Combinations; D010087:Oxides; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials; D017640:Silicates; C086631:mineral trioxide aggregate
keywords: MTA; synthetic tissue fluid; vertical root fracture