The Influence of Post Length and Crown Ferrule Length on the Resistance to Cyclic Loading of Bovine Teeth with Prefabricated Titanium Posts

Purpose: The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate th e influence of post and ferrule length on the resistance to cyclic (fatigue) loading of teeth with prefabricated titanium posts (ParaPost) and crowns. Materials and Methods: Ninety bovine teeth with similar dimensions were mounted in acrylic blocks with artificial silicone periodontal ligaments. Combinations of post lengths of 5 mm, 7.5 mm, and 10 mm, and ferrule lengths (ie, the vertical dentinal overlap of the crown) of 1 mm, 1.25 mm, and 2.5 mm made up 9 different groups consisting of 10 teeth each. The posts were cemented with zinc phosphate cement. Composite-resin cores were made and crowns were cemented. Each test specimen underwent cyclic loading of 400 N with a frequency of 1 load per second at an angulation of 45 degrees to the long axis of teh tooth. Results: All but 2 specimens failed with a root fracture; in the remaining 2 specimens the core lost retention. A large variation in the results between the various groups was observed. A nonparametric 2-way analysis for groups with a natural order revealed that the fracture resistance to cyclic loading increased statistically significantly with increasing ferrule length (P 0.01), whereas increasing post length did not increase fracture resistance (P = 0.44). Conclusions: Ferrule length was more important than post length in increasing fracture resistance to cyclic loading of crowned teeth.