Bonding of luting materials for resin-bonded bridges: clinical relevance of in vitro tests.

A retrospective clinical study on 78 resin-bonded bridges placed between 1981 and 1992 was used to validate the wedge test in the assessment of the bonding of resin-based luting material. According to the correlation obtained between the findings of the in vivo and the in vitro studies, the wedge test may be considered to be predictive of the clinical performance of resin bonds. The life expectancy of resin-bonded bridges bonded with the 4 META containing material tested appears to be longer than that for bridges bonded with conventional resin cements.

[Neumann's tumor or congenital epulis of the newborn]. / Tumeur de Neumann ou épulis congénitale du nouveau-né.

Congenital epulis is a rare benign gingival tumor affecting mainly female neonates. Histology shows characteristic granular cells. Although diagnosis and therapy fail to raise particular problems, this is not the case for histopathogenesis of lesion. Two cases observed recently in West Africa are reported.

Functional anatomy of the human temporal muscle.

The authors carried out an anatomical and magnetic resonance imaging study on the architecture of the mandibular elevator muscles of 169 cadavers. The aim of the study was to define the organisational architecture of the human masseter, temporal and pterygoid muscles. Layer by layer dissection and anatomical cuts in different spatial planes showed that the temporal muscle has a different architecture to the other mandibular elevator muscles. Indeed this muscle does not have the pennate structure of the masseter and pterygoid muscles. Through electromyographic study the behavior of this muscle allowed the establishment of its functional segmentation during the masticatory cycle. Our study showed three distinct anatomical portions in the middle of the temporal muscle which correspond to this functional classification. The MRI study confirmed the results of our anatomical study.

Functional organization of the human masseter muscle.

The authors carried out an anatomic and magnetic resonance imaging study of the architecture of the elevator muscles of the mandible in 169 cadavers. The aim of this study was to define the architectural organization of the human masseter muscle, temporalis and pterygoid muscles. Layered dissections and anatomic sections in different spatial planes showed that the masseter muscle exhibited a typical pennate structure consisting of a succession of alternating musculoaponeurotic layers. The muscle had three well-differentiated parts: the superficial, intermediate and deep masseter muscles. The same pattern was constantly found: 1) for the superficial masseter, two alternate musculoaponeurotic layers oriented at 60 degrees in relation to the plane of occlusion, 2) for the intermediate masseter, a single musculo-aponeurotic layer oriented at 90 degrees in relation to the occlusal plane, 3) for the deep masseter, three musculoaponeurotic layers whose general orientation was at 90 degrees for the bounding layers and 110 degrees for the intermediate layer. The MRI study confirmed the reality of this architectural arrangement.