Effects of etching and adhesive applications on the bond strength between composite resin and glass-ionomer cements

OBJECTIVE: This study determined the effects of various surface treatment modalities on the bond strength of composite resins to glass-ionomer cements. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Conventional (Ketac(TM) Molar Quick Applicap(TM)) or resin-modified (Photac(TM) Fil Quick Aplicap(TM)) glass-ionomer cements were prepared. Two-step etch-rinse & bond adhesive (Adper(TM) Single Bond 2) or single-step self-etching adhesive (Adper(TM) Prompt(TM) L-Pop(TM)) was applied to the set cements. In the etch-rinse & bond group, the sample surfaces were pre-treated as follows: (1) no etching, (2) 15 s of etching with 35% phosphoric acid, (3) 30 s of etching, and (4) 60 s of etching. Following the placement of the composite resin (Filtek(TM) Z250), the bond strength was measured in a universal testing machine and the data obtained were analyzed with the two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by the Tukey's HSD post hoc analysis (p=0.05). Then, the fractured surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscopy. RESULTS: The bond strength of the composite resin to the conventional glass-ionomer cement was significantly lower than that to the resin-modified glass-ionomer cement (p<0.001). No significant differences were determined between the self-etching and etch-rinse & bond adhesives at any etching time (p>0.05). However, a greater bond strength was obtained with 30 s of phosphoric acid application. CONCLUSIONS: The resin-modified glass-ionomer cement improved the bond strength of the composite resin to the glass-ionomer cement. Both etch-rinse & bond and self-etching adhesives may be used effectively in the lamination of glass-ionomer cements. However, an etching time of at least 30 s appears to be optimal

Correlation between two measurement scales of hemiplegic shoulder pain

The objective of this article was to determine the correlation between two measures of hemiplegic shoulder pain, the Ritchie Articular Index (RAI) and the vertical Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and to explore the effect of participant characteristics on the distribution of the vertical VAS scores in a rehabilitation unit setting. Participants (n = 34) with first time stroke and upper limb hemiplegia were studied. A positive relationship between the RAI and vertical VAS scores (Spearman’s rho = 0.57,