title: Carbon plate shows even distribution of stress, decreases screw loosening, and increases recovery of preoperative daily feed intake amount in a rabbit model of mandibular continuity defects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to compare a carbon plate (CP) and a titanium mandibular reconstruction plate (TMRP) in finite element analysis and an animal model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve rabbits were used for this experiment. After a mandible continuity defect was created, either a CP or a TMRP was used for mandibular reconstruction. Postoperatively, daily feed intake amount (DFIA) was measured for 4 weeks. Radiographic images were also acquired to evaluate screw loosening. For the analysis of the stress distribution, a simple continuity defect model was used, and finite element analysis was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The CP group had 0.80 ± 0.45 lost screws in an animal during the 4 weeks postoperative observation; however, the TMRP group had 1.86 ± 0.69 lost screws (p = 0.014). Overall, the 5 out of 5 of rabbits in the CP group and 3 out of 7 in the TMRP group exhibited preoperative levels of DFIA during the 4 week observation (p = 0.038). The finite element analysis showed that the stress was more evenly distributed in the CP than in the TMRP model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The CP group showed decreased screw loosening and increased recovery of preoperative DFIA compared to the TMRP group in a rabbit model of mandibular continuity defects. Perfect adaptation of CP during the operation could not be achieved in spite of reshaping to the mandibular curvature. This disadvantage of the CP system can be overcome by the prefabricated technique using a prototype model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (Head: Young-Wook Park, D.D.S., Ph.D), College of Dentistry, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung 210-702, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Woon
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Face, Cheeks, Oral Surgery and Dental Clinic (Head: Szabó György, M.D., D.D.S), Faculty of Dentistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Szabó
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: György
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering (Head: Jae Bong Choi, M.D., Ph.D), Hansung University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Bong
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (Head: In-San Kim, M.D., Ph.D), WCU Programme, CMRI, Skeletal Diseases Genome Research Centre, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Je-Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (Head: Young-Wook Park, D.D.S., Ph.D), College of Dentistry, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung 210-702, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: kimsg@gwnu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Seong-Gon
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001860:Bone Plates; D001863:Bone Screws; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D000077482:Carbon Fiber; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D004867:Equipment Design; D004868:Equipment Failure; D020342:Finite Element Analysis; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008336:Mandibular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D063175:Mandibular Reconstruction / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011817:Rabbits; D011859:Radiography; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013499:Surface Properties; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D000077482:Carbon Fiber; C009139:pyrolytic carbon; D002244:Carbon; D014025:Titanium
keywords: Carbon plate; Finite element analysis; Mandibular reconstruction