Search

Pressure therapy is widely used in the management of keloid mass and for preventing postexcision recurrence of earlobe keloid. Although various types of compression devices are available, the pressure applied by these devices is uncontrolled and associated with the risk of pressure necrosis. This article presents a novel design for a compression device with threaded connectors to control the amount and direction of the pressure applied on the keloid mass.

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare the effect of various surface chemical treatments on the interfacial adhesion of glass and quartz fiber posts to composite core material by assessing the microtensile bond strength. Materials and Methods: A total of 40 glass fiber posts (Group I) and 40 quartz fiber posts (Group II) were selected. Posts in each group were divided into four subgroups based on the surface chemical treatment employed such as A (10% hydrogen peroxide), B (4% hydrofluoric acid), C (37% phosphoric acid), and D (control silanization alone). After prescribed surface treatment protocol for respective subgroups, a core was built around each post using a dual-cure core buildup composite material. Each bonded specimen was sectioned to obtain 'microtensile' specimen which was subjected to tensile load at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min until failure, in a Universal Testing Machine. The changes in the post surface characteristics after surface treatments were evaluated using scanning electron microscope. Results: Mean bond strength was higher in quartz fiber posts when compared to glass fiber post. Surface treatment with hydrogen peroxide had the greatest impact on post surface in both glass and quartz fiber post groups. Conclusion: Surface chemical treatments of fiber posts significantly increased the interfacial bond strength by enhancing the chemical and micromechanical interaction between the fiber posts and composite core.