Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Oral and Dental Medicine - Department of Prosthodontics

In this invitro study, the effect of two different stud attachments (ball & locator) on the retention and stresses induced around implants retaining unilateral total maxillectomy obturator was studied. This study was carried out on an acrylic resin model constructed from duplication of a study model of unilateral total maxillectomy. Three dummy implants 3.7 in diameter and 11 mm in length were installed at the sites of first central incisor, first premolar and second molar of the non-defect side. The test obturator was processed. Six strain gauges were attached to the buccal and mesial surfaces of the prepared model around each implant. The experiment was divided into 2 phases: first with ball and socket attachment followed by locator attachment.Once retention and stress analysis studies were completed for the ball attachments, they were replaced by locator attachment. Universal testing machine was used to measure the retentive forces of the studied attachments. At the same time, strain-meter was used to record the microstrains transmitted to each strain gauge while the machine was adjusted to move in tensile mode. The collected data were tabulated and statistically analyzed

Issued also as CD