Substitutes for human cadaveric hone in maxillofacial rigid fixation research

Objective. Various materials have been used as human bone substitutes in ri gid fixation research. We hypothesize that these substitutes behave differe ntly than human cadaveric bone in maxillofacial research. Study design. Screw insertion torque and pull-out strength of titanium maxi llofacial self-tapping bone screws (1.0 mm and 2.4 mm outer diameter) were measured in cadaveric mandible and in the following materials: bovine rib, porcine rib, photoelastic epoxy, red oak, and 2 types of synthetic mandible s. Results were tested for statistically significant differences (unpaired t test, P < .05) in comparison with human bone. Results, For 1.0-mm screws, statistically significant differences were foun d for the synthetic mandibles groups and oak groups for insertion torque an d porcine rib for pull-out strength. For 2.4-mm screws, statistically signi ficant differences were found for the porcine rib and oak groups for insert ion torque and the bovine rib and epoxy groups for pull-out strength. Conclusion. The results suggest that human bone can be simulated in fixatio n studies With bone substitute materials.