Flexural and fatigue strengths of root canal posts

This study measured the flexural and fatigue strengths of root canal posts of different alloy, design, and diameter. Fixed posts were loaded up to a preset force and the number of loadings endured until fracture was recorded at each loading force. The flexural strength was defined as the maximum force a post could endure before fracture when loaded once. The fatigue strength was determined as the maximum force a post could endure when loaded 10,000 times. Both modes of strength were found to increase with increasing diameter. Aluminum posts had lower flexural and fatigue strengths than posts of titanium, stainless steel, and a Ag-Pd alloy, all of which had strength values of about the same magnitude. Among the investigated brands, Triax and Radix were stronger than the others at comparable diameters. The high strength of Triax may be explained by the design of the post, whereas a superior alloy may account for the high strength of Radix.