PubMed ID (PMID): 16900820Pages 371-372, Language: EnglishTse, Edward T. P. / Cheng, Leo Y. Y. / Luk, Henry W. K. / Chai, John / Chow, Tak W.This study aimed to compare the retentive forces of cast cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) and commercially pure titanium (cpTi) clasps. A clasp assembly comprising a pair of symmetrical clasps was made to fit the opposite halves of a hardened stainless-steel sphere. This twin clasp was designed to counterbalance the tipping forces when the clasp assembly was drawn from the sphere. A total of 120 clasp assemblies were fabricated in cast Co-Cr and cpTi and placed at undercut depths of 0.25 mm, 0.50 mm, and 0.75 mm (n = 20 for each). For Co-Cr clasps, the retentive forces at these undercuts depths were 2.34 ± 0.23 N, 4.65 ± 0.35 N, and 7.56 ± 0.50 N, respectively. The corresponding retentive forces for cpTi clasps were 1.24 ± 0.13 N, 2.34 ± 0.23 N, and 3.70 ± 0.27 N. The retentive force of cpTi clasps was approximately half that of Co-Cr clasps for the same undercut depth.
