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At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

The inner prosthetic surface structure and re-endothelialization: an experimental study in the rat using two types of microvascular prostheses for aortic implantation.

Two types of microvascular prostheses were implanted in the rat infrarenal aorta. Operations were carried out with clean, nonsterile instruments under ether anesthesia. Anastomoses were made with a continuous 8-0 suture. In group A, a 1-cm-long piece of expanded polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) and in group B a 1-cm-long fibrous polyurethane prosthesis were implanted. Both groups consisted of 18 rats. Three rats from each group were killed at days 3, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 60 postimplantation. Prostheses were examined by scanning electron and light microscopy for the re-endothelialization. All prostheses in both groups were patent at the time of death. Re-endothelialization started in both types of prostheses the fifth day after implantation and had advanced 1-3 mm in the PTFE prostheses at day 60. However, in the fibrous polyurethane prostheses, re-endothelialization progressed and a complete new lining was achieved between days 20 and 40 postimplantation. The endothelium/neointima in the fibrous prosthesis was firmly anchored onto the prosthetic wall by means of cellular protrusions between the polyurethane fibers. In contrast to this observation, the endothelium/neointima developed in the PTFE prostheses was not anchored to the wall of the prosthesis. It is emphasized that the development of a new lining in a prosthesis may reduce the risk of endogenous, hematogenous infections. From the results of this study, we have concluded that there is a correlation between the inner surface structure and the extent of the re-endothelialization of a prosthesis. A prosthesis with a fibrous structure is much more rapidly and completely re-endothelialized than an expanded PTFE prosthesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Cementless total hip arthroplasty with AML, PCA and HGP prostheses.

Two hundred and fourteen patients who had 270 cementless hip prostheses were followed for 2 to 8 years. PCA (Porous-Coated Monatomic), AML (Monatomic Medullary Locking) and HGP (Harris-Galante-Porous) femoral stems and acetabular cups were used without any preference for the prostheses. The overall clinical results were similar for the three prostheses with average Harris hip scores of 93, 93 and 91 respectively. Four PCA prostheses had radiological aseptic loosening and one was revised because of polyethylene wear. There was no loosening in the AML and HGP prostheses. Pain in the thigh, usually slight, occurred in 17% of AML, 21% of PCA and 19% of HGP prostheses. Five years after operation, radiological changes such as migration, calcar remodelling and radiolucent lines were the same for the 3 prostheses, but bony ingrowth was greater with the AML femoral stems.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Tricuspid valve replacement: porcine bioprostheses and mechanical prostheses.

The clinical performance of tricuspid valve replacement with bioprostheses and mechanical prostheses was assessed in a series of 5,489 total valve replacement operations performed from 1975 to 1992. There were 97 (1.8%) tricuspid valve replacements in 94 patients (16 men, 78 women) with a mean age of 55.4 +/- 13.8 years. Bioprostheses (mean patient age, 55.9 +/- 14.1 years) were used in 83 operations and mechanical prostheses (mean patient age, 52.1 +/- 11.9 years) were used in 14 operations. There were 30 isolated tricuspid valve replacements and 67 tricuspid valve replacements incorporated in multiple valve replacements. The total cumulative follow-up was 360 patient-years (bioprostheses, 321 years; mechanical prostheses, 39 years) (96.8% complete). The mean follow-up was 3.7 years (bioprostheses, 3.9 years; mechanical prostheses, 2.8 years) (p = not significant). The early mortality was 14.4% (bioprostheses, 14.5%; mechanical prostheses, 14.3%) (p = not significant) (isolated replacement, 13.3%; multiple replacement, 14.9%). The late mortality was 9.2% per patient-year (isolated replacement, 12.2% per patient-year; multiple replacement, 7.9% per patient-year). The freedom from structural valve deterioration at 5 and 7 years was 100% for mechanical prostheses and 97.1% +/- 2.9% for bioprostheses (p = not significant). For isolated tricuspid valve replacement, the freedom from structural valve deterioration for bioprostheses was 90.9% +/- 8.7% at 5 years and at 7 years (p = not significant). For the mechanical prostheses, the freedom was 100%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed2004

Biological or mechanical prostheses in tricuspid position? A meta-analysis of intra-institutional results.

BACKGROUND: Tricuspid valve replacement (TVR) is an uncommon procedure. The use of biological vs mechanical prostheses in TVR has pros and cons. Therefore, we debate the choice between the different types of valves by means of a meta-analysis of studies of the last decade. METHODS: The heading "tricuspid valve replacement and (bio* or mec*)" was used to retrieve studies from Medline, Current Contents, and Embase. Eight out of 11 studies met the preset strict criteria: intra-institutional comparison of results of biological or mechanical TVR. Survival of hospital-discharged patients was recalculated to reduce the effect of unbalanced perioperative risk factors on overall survival. Hazard ratio was obtained from actuarial survival graphics comparison and at-risk groups, according to the method described by Parmar. If missing, the number of patients at risk was approximated assuming constant and noninformative censoring. Hazard pooling was done according to study heterogeneity. Bioprostheses were assumed as the gold standard and mechanical prostheses assumed as the challenging device. Therefore, a hazard more than 1 pointed to a higher risk of mechanical prostheses. Our 1998 study was updated for this analysis. RESULTS: In this study, 1,160 prostheses and 6,046 follow-up years were analyzed. The pooled survival hazard ratio of mechanical prostheses versus bioprostheses was 1.07 (0.84 to 1.35, p = 0.60). The pooled freedom from reoperation hazard ratio was 1.24 (0.67 to 2.31, p = 0.67). Pooled survival differences were trivial, favoring mechanical prostheses at 1 (-0.04%) and 15 years (-1.1%) and favoring bioprostheses (+1.8%) at 10 years. CONCLUSIONS: There is not a gold standard in tricuspid prostheses replacement. Prosthetic choice is left to the surgeon's clinical judgment, taking into consideration each patient's characteristics and needs.

Bioprosthesis↗
PubMed1999

The influence of contact alignment of the tibiofemoral joint of the prostheses in in vitro biomechanical testing.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of contact alignment of the tibiofemoral joint of the prostheses in in vitro biomechanical testing. DESIGN: An experimental set-up was used to measure the total contact areas of the tibiofemoral joint of the prostheses subjected to a compressive load, and the malalignment situations were simulated. BACKGROUND: The contact alignment of the femoral component related to the tibial component in the literature was not described clearly and the effect of malalignment on the testing method has not been reported well. METHODS: Three commercial knee prostheses (Omnifit, Genesis, and AMK) were used for testing under a compression load (3000 N) at flexion 0 degrees and 10 degrees. After aligning the normal contact alignment, the simulated malalignment was done to evaluate the influence on the total contact areas in these conditions relative to the normal contact alignment. The simulated malalignment includes the medial-lateral translation (0.5 and 1 mm), anterior-posterior translation (2 and 4 mm) and internal-external rotation (1 degrees, 3 degrees and 5 degrees ) of the femoral component relative to the tibial component. RESULTS: The ratios of total contact areas of malalignment relative to normal contact alignment ranged from 1.06 to 0.93 in medial-lateral malalignment in these three prostheses. In anterior-posterior malalignment, the ratios ranged from 0.69 to 0.79 in Omnifit, 0.93-0. 96 in Genesis and 0.96-1.04 in AMK. In internal-external malrotation, the ratios ranged from 0.90 to 1.03 in these prostheses. CONCLUSIONS: This study proposes that contact alignment would affect the contact characteristics, especially in anterior-posterior alignment when high conformity knee prosthesis is tested. The contact alignment must be standardized in the procedure in in vitro biomechanical testing, which will be more objective to evaluate the contact characteristics of different knee prostheses. RELEVANCE: This study revealed the importance of contact alignment of the tibiofemoral joint of the prosthesis in in vitro biomechanical testing. Many published reports of the biomechanical evaluations on different designs of knee prostheses would show different results due to contact alignment. Furthermore, this study indicates that the ideal contact characteristics of the tibiofemoral joint in original design will be changed when the prosthesis under the malalignment condition which was caused by surgery technique or soft tissues imbalance.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of transesophageal color flow Doppler imaging of normal mitral regurgitant jets in St. Jude Medical and Medtronic Hall cardiac prostheses.

Transesophageal color flow Doppler imaging of mitral mechanical prostheses is now widely used. This method eliminates the frequent problems of acoustic shadowing and flow masking that are commonly seen with a transthoracic Doppler study of mechanical mitral prostheses. Transesophageal color flow Doppler imaging was performed postoperatively in seven patients who had received St. Jude Medical mitral prostheses (St. Jude Medical, Inc., St. Jude, Minnesota) and in six patients who received Medtronic Hall mitral valves (Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota). Maximal systolic regurgitant jet length and area determinations were obtained in all patients. A comparison of maximal jet lengths and areas for each type of mechanical prosthesis demonstrated that the Medtronic Hall prostheses produced longer maximal jet lengths (p = 0.0001) and larger jet areas (p = 0.0009) than those produced by the St. Jude Medical mitral valves. Medtronic Hall prostheses produce a large centrally directed jet, whereas St. Jude Medical prostheses typically generate three smaller jets. Recognition of these differences in transesophageal color flow Doppler images in these commonly used cardiac valve prostheses is necessary to avoid misinterpretation of the normally large systolic regurgitant jet of the Medtronic Hall prosthesis as representing prosthetic dysfunction.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

In vitro and in vivo microbial adhesion and growth on argon plasma-treated silicone rubber voice prostheses.

Patients who undergo a total laryngectomy usually receive a silicone rubber voice prosthesis for voice rehabilitation. Unfortunately, biofilm formation on the esophageal side of voice prostheses limits their lifetime to 3-4 mon on average. The effects of repeated argon plasma treatment of medical grade, hydrophobic silicone rubber on in vitro adhesion and growth of bacteria and yeasts isolated from voice prostheses, as well as in vivo biofilm formation are presented here. In vitro experiments demonstrated that initial microbial adhesion over a 4 h time span to plasma-treated, hydrophilized, silicone rubber was generally less than on original, hydrophobic silicone rubber, both in the absence and presence of a salivary conditioning film on the biomaterial. Growth studies over a time period of 14 d at 37 degrees C in a modified Robbins device, showed that fewer Candida cells adhered on plasma-treated, hydrophilized silicone rubber as compared to on original, hydrophobic silicone rubber. For the in vivo evaluation of biofilm formation on plasma-treated silicone rubber voice prostheses, seven laryngectomized patients received a partly hydrophilized "Groningen Button" voice prosthesis for a planned evaluation period of 4 wk. After removal of the voice prostheses, the border between the hydrophilized and the original, hydrophobic side of the prostheses was clearly visible. However, biofilm formation was, unexpectedly, less on the original, hydrophobic sides, although the microbial compositions of the biofilms on both sides were not significantly different. Summarizing, this study demonstrates that in vitro microbial adhesion and growth on silicone rubber can be reduced by plasma treatment, but in vivo biofilm formation on silicone rubber voice prostheses is oppositely enhanced by hydrophilizing the silicone rubber surface. Nevertheless, from the results of this study the important conclusion can be drawn that in vivo biofilm formation on voice prostheses is controlled by the hydrophobicity of the biomaterials surface used.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

Evaluation of implant-supported carbon/graphite fiber-reinforced poly (methyl methacrylate) prostheses. A longitudinal multicenter study.

Carbon/graphite fiber-reinforced poly (methyl methacrylate) (CGFP) has been suggested as an alternative framework material for implant-supported fixed prostheses. The aim of this study was to evaluate CGFP prostheses clinically over time in patients treated with titanium implants of the Brånemark type and to study the handling of the material in the technical production. Twenty-five patients were fitted with 27 CGFP prostheses supported by 119 implants. Three implants, all in the upper jaw, were lost after loading. After a mean functioning time of 44 months (range 32-56), 19 prostheses (70%) were still in situ. In all, 5 prostheses fractured, of which 3 were exchanged whereas 2 could be repaired. The fractures were discovered early after loading and located close to the end abutment cylinders. During the follow-up period, the bone loss around the implants was about the same as earlier reported values for fixed prostheses with cast frameworks. It is concluded that a CGFP framework can be used to form the biocompatible superstructure of implant-supported prostheses with high precision at a low material cost and with good aesthetic results. The mechanical properties are so far not satisfactory but the method has the potential to be further developed and standardized.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Within-subject comparison of maxillary long-bar implant-retained prostheses with and without palatal coverage: patient-based outcomes.

Although maxillary implant overdentures are used in oral rehabilitation, different designs have not been compared previously in clinical trials. This crossover trial was designed to measure differences in patient satisfaction with maxillary long-bar implant overdentures with and without palatal coverage opposed by a fixed mandibular implant-supported prosthesis. Data were also gathered on new conventional dentures and on maxillary conventional dentures opposed by mandibular fixed prostheses. Sixteen participants were selected from a population wearing conventional dentures. Fifteen received new upper and lower dentures (1 drop-out). Four implants were placed in the maxilla and mandible (2 drop-outs). A mandibular fixed prosthesis was inserted in 13 participants, who were then divided into 2 groups. One group (n = 7) received long-bar overdentures with palate, then long-bar overdentures without palate. The other group (n = 6) received the same treatments in the reverse order. Mastication tests and psychometric evaluations using Visual Analog Scales and Categorical Scales were performed throughout the study. General satisfaction was very high with both maxillary implant-supported prostheses, as were ratings of almost all psychosocial and functional variables. There were no significant differences between treatments, suggesting that patients are equally satisfied with long-bar overdentures with and without palate when these are opposed by mandibular fixed prostheses. However, the ratings given to the maxillary implant prostheses were not significantly higher than for new conventional maxillary prostheses. This suggests that maxillary implant prostheses should not be considered as a general treatment of choice in patients with good bony support for maxillary conventional prostheses.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

The design and fabrication of fiber-reinforced implant prostheses.

The use of fiber composite technology in the creation of metal-free implant prostheses may solve many of the problems associated with a metal alloy substructure such as corrosion, toxicity, complexity of fabrication, high cost, and esthetic limitations. Laboratory and clinical research evaluating glass fiber-reinforced composite prostheses used to restore and replace teeth has shown that these materials exhibit excellent mechanical properties and can form a chemical bond to resin-based veneer materials such as those used in the fabrication of certain types of implant prostheses. Two different designs of fiber-reinforced composite implant prostheses have been developed and placed in human subjects. One design (screw-retained, retrievable prosthesis) is used with implant abutments that allow for screw-retained prostheses; the other design is used with abutments that retain prostheses with a luting material. Both designs are described in this article. The prostheses have functioned well in a small group of preliminary subjects, but clinical trials with larger subject populations are needed to more completely evaluate the potential of fiber-reinforced composites in implant prosthodontics.

Cementation↗
PubMed1986

An experimental study of eight current arterial prostheses.

Eight currently used arterial prostheses with differing constructions and materials were implanted in the descending thoracic aorta of mongrel dogs. The prostheses were Gore-Tex (polytetrafluoroethylene), DeBakey Woven, Cooley Woven, Meadox Woven Double Velour, Cooley Knitted Double Velour, Microvel, Vasculour II, and Bionit II. Five series of these eight prostheses were serially implanted in heparinized subjects. During the 40 implantations, attention was focused on three major characteristics: preclotting efficiency, surgical handling characteristics, and healing. Gore-Tex is impervious to blood. The DeBakey and Cooley woven grafts are nearly so. The remaining prostheses required preclotting. The Meadox Woven Double Velour became impervious after two preclotting steps, the Cooley Knitted Double Velour and the Bionit II required three, and the Vasculour II and the Microvel required four. The surgical handling characteristics of the knitted prostheses clearly surpassed those of the DeBakey and Cooley woven and Gore-Tex prostheses. Although the Meadox Woven Double Velour prosthesis had better conformability than the nonveloured woven, the tendency of its cut edge to fray was more pronounced. Healing was much more advanced in the knitted and woven prostheses than in the Gore-Tex.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Longitudinal ruptures of polyester knitted vascular prostheses.

AIM: The purpose of the study was the characterization of a type of rupture occurring on warp-knitted polyester vascular prostheses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 20 cases of warp-knitted polyester vascular prostheses that were explanted from humans that showed a longitudinal rupture as a part of a collaborative retrieval program. All the prostheses were immediately fixed in a 10% formaldehyde solution after their explantation in the operating room. The clinical data of these cases were recorded. The explants were photographed, washed to eliminate the surrounding tissues, and photographed again. The ruptures were characterized with macroscopic examination, optical stereomicroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. RESULTS: The mean duration of implantation of the prostheses was 16.0 +/- 3.3 years (range, 9-20.7 years). The prostheses were Cooley Double Velour (n = 15) and Microvel Double Velour (n = 5). There were 16 aortobifemoral bypass grafts, 1 aorto-biiliac, 1 aorto-aortic, 1 iliofemoral, and 1 axillobifemoral. The longitudinal ruptures occurred on two specific parts of the prostheses: the guide line (6 cases) and the remeshing line (11 cases). In three cases both lines were affected. Scanning electron microscopy showed major degradation of the trilobar filaments of the velour and gradual ruptures of the flat filaments of the remeshing and guide lines. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we have identified a specific mechanism of late (9-20 years) longitudinal rupture of knitted polyester prostheses consisting of degradation of the polyester filaments along the remeshing and guide lines that run the length of the graft.

Aorta, Abdominal↗
PubMed2004

Prevention of biofilm formation by dairy products and N-acetylcysteine on voice prostheses in an artificial throat.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the preventive effect of buttermilk, Yakult Light fermented milk drink and N-acetylcysteine on biofilm formation on voice prostheses in vitro. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Groningen button and Provox 2 voice prostheses were inoculated with a mixture of bacteria and yeasts isolated from previously explanted Groningen button voice prostheses. After 5 h, separate throats were flushed with buttermilk, Yakult Light fermented milk drink, N-acetylcysteine or phosphate-buffered saline, which served as a control. After 7 days, the microflora on each voice prosthesis was determined. RESULTS: On Groningen button voice prostheses, buttermilk, Yakult Light fermented milk drink and N-acetylcysteine all reduced the amount of both bacteria and yeasts. On Provox 2 voice prostheses, buttermilk, Yakult Light fermented milk drink and N-acetylcysteine reduced the amount of bacteria but, conversely, increased the amount of yeasts. CONCLUSION: These in vitro experiments demonstrate that biofilm formation on voice prostheses is reduced in an artificial throat by the use of buttermilk, Yakult Light fermented milk drink and N-acetylcysteine. However, the structural differences between the type of voice prostheses may influence the ultimate effects.

Acetylcysteine↗
PubMed1997

99Tc(m)-polyclonal IgG scintigraphy in the detection of infected hip and knee prostheses.

We investigated the usefulness of 99Tc(m)-polyclonal human IgG (99Tc[m]-HIG) scintigraphy in the diagnosis of infected hip and knee prostheses. Twenty-nine scintigraphic studies were performed in 27 patients (17 females, 10 males) with a suspected prosthetic infection. As some patients had bilateral prostheses, a total of 35 prostheses were evaluated. There were 25 hip replacements and 10 knee prostheses. The images were analysed both visually and quantitatively. The scintigraphic results were compared with the culture results of surgical specimens and also with clinical follow-up after 3 months. Increased uptake was observed in 22 prostheses, of which 12 were true-positive and 10 were false-positive results. Staphylococci were the agents most commonly isolated. In all false-positive patients, aseptic inflammation was diagnosed. Based on quantitative analysis, no statistically significant difference was found between the true-positive and false-positive cases. For the prostheses as a whole, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 100%, 41%, 54% and 100% respectively. For the hip prostheses alone, these values were 100%, 53%, 57% and 100% respectively. Taking its high sensitivity and predictive value into consideration, 99Tc(m)-HIG scintigraphy can be used as a screening test to help eliminate prosthetic infection.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Ferromagnetic movements of middle ear implants and stapes prostheses in a 3-T magnetic resonance field.

HYPOTHESIS: A 3-T magnetic resonance field may cause motion or displacement of middle ear implants not seen in studies with 1.5-T magnets. BACKGROUND: Previous publications have described the safety limitations of some otologic implants in 1.5-T magnetic resonance fields. Several company-wide recalls of implants were issued. No studies to date have been reported for otologic implants within a 3-T magnetic resonance field, nor have there been comparisons with a 1.5-T field strength. METHODS: Eighteen commonly used middle ear implants and prostheses were selected. In Part 1, the prostheses were placed in Petri dishes and exposed to a 3-T magnetic resonance field. In Part 2, the particular prostheses that showed movement in Part 1 were placed into their intended use positions within temporal bone laboratory specimens and exposed to a 3-T field. Both parts were repeated in a 1.5-T field. RESULTS: In Part 1, three prostheses moved dramatically from their start positions when exposed to the 3-T magnetic resonance field. In Part 2, the three particular prostheses that showed movement in Part 1 showed no gross displacement or movement from their start positions within the temporal bone laboratory specimens. No implants moved in the 1.5-T field in either Part 1 or Part 2. CONCLUSION: Certain stapes prostheses move dramatically in Petri dishes in 3-T fields. When placed into temporal bone laboratory specimens, the same prostheses show no signs of movement from the surgical site in a 3-T field, and it appears that the surgical position holds the implants firmly in place. Results of published 1.5-T field studies should not be used directly for safety recommendations in a 3-T magnetic resonance. Heat, voltage induction, and vibration during exposure to the magnetic resonance fields should be considered as additional possible safety issues. Preference should be given to platinum and titanium implants in manufacturing processes and surgical selection.

Contraindications↗
PubMed2000

Effect of probiotic bacteria on prevalence of yeasts in oropharyngeal biofilms on silicone rubber voice prostheses in vitro.

The proliferation of yeasts in the mixed bacterial and fungal biofilms colonising silicone rubber voice prostheses in laryngectomised patients is the main cause of malfunctioning of the valve mechanism on the oesophageal side of the prostheses. Indwelling voice prostheses usually have to be replaced every 3-4 months. The consumption of probiotic bacteria is largely motivated by health claims related to the urogenital and lower digestive tract, but not to the upper digestive tract. The present study examined the influence of probiotic bacteria on the prevalence of yeasts in oropharyngeal biofilms on silicone rubber voice prostheses, as formed in a modified Robbins device. Exposure of oropharyngeal biofilms on voice prostheses to suspensions of Bifidobacterium infantis 420 or Enterococcus faecium 603 did not significantly reduce the number of yeasts in the biofilm. However, suspensions of Lactobacillus fermentum B54, L. rhamnosus 744 or L. lactis cremoris SK11 led to a reduction in the number of yeasts harvested from the voice prostheses. Suspensions of L. casei Shirota and Streptococcus thermophilus B significantly reduced the number of yeasts in the biofilm to 39% and 33%, respectively. The reduction brought about in yeast prevalence in the mixed biofilm was greatest by exposure to a suspension of L. lactis 53, with yeast prevalence only 4% of the control. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that the prevalence of yeasts in oropharyngeal biofilms on silicone rubber voice prostheses might be controlled by consumption of probiotic bacteria.

Bifidobacterium↗
PubMed2004

Patient evaluation of treatment with fixed prostheses supported by implants or a combination of teeth and implants.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to compare treatment outcomes among subjects with complete arch fixed prostheses in the maxilla, supported by implants or a combination of natural teeth and dental implants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-one subjects with maxillary tooth- and implant-supported fixed prostheses and 21 subjects with maxillary implant-supported fixed prostheses were identified and included in the study. All abutment teeth in the group with tooth- and implant-supported prostheses were provided with cemented copings that incorporated threads for vertical locking screws. Frameworks were fabricated with a gold alloy that was veneered with acrylic resin or ceramic materials. All frameworks were screw-retained to implants and copings. Frameworks in the group with implant-supported prostheses were fabricated with milled titanium or gold alloy to which denture teeth and resin base material were applied. All prostheses had a minimum of 8 units, at least 4 of which were in one quadrant. Subjects in both groups were mailed a questionnaire consisting of 15 questions focused on various factors related to treatment outcome, such as oral function and patient satisfaction. RESULTS: The response rate was 86%. Both groups reported a high satisfaction rate for most items with few regretting their choice of treatment. Most individuals in both groups reported great improvement in chewing ability and few reported phonetic disturbances. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study showed similarity in questionnaire responses between the 2 groups of participants. High satisfaction was reported both among subjects who received a complete arch fixed prosthesis in the maxilla supported by dental implants only, as well as among those whose prostheses were supported by a combination of natural teeth and dental implants.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Biofilm formation on voice prostheses: in vitro influence of probiotics.

In order to determine the influence of probiotic bacteria on biofilm formation on Groningen and Provox 2 voice prostheses in an artificial throat, we grew biofilms on both types of voice prostheses and exposed them 3 times daily to a probiotic bacterial suspension. As a control, we perfused an artificial throat with phosphate-buffered saline solution. Perfusion with Lactococcus lactis 53 suspension reduced the percentage numbers of bacteria and yeasts, respectively, on the Groningen prostheses to 17% and 22% and on the Provox 2 prostheses to 19% and 45%, compared to the number of colony-forming units on the control prosthesis, which was set at 100%. A suspension of Streptococcus thermophilus B reduced the percentage numbers of bacteria and yeasts, respectively, on the Groningen prostheses to 53% and 33% and on the Provox 2 prostheses to 14% and 0%, as compared to the control prosthesis. All other probiotic strains tested caused some reduction in the percentages of bacteria or yeasts, but strong differences between the types of prostheses were observed. In conclusion, L. lactis 53 and S. thermophilus B strongly reduce the occurrence of yeasts and bacteria in voice prosthetic biofilms.

Biofilms↗