Sterilization Effects on the Dimensional Stability of Implant Scan Bodies

Objectives: To investigate the dimensional stability of three scan body systems of varying compositions subjected to multiple cycles of sterilization.
Methods: Forty-five scan bodies made with different materials were analyzed: Group A- PEEK (screw retained); Group B- PEEK w/ titanium base (screw retained); and Group C- Peek/titanium w/ PEEK base (snap-retained). For each scan body, three dimensions were recorded with a digital light microscope: angles and lengths of the hex, and the microgap between the scan body and the implant analog. The screw retained scanbodies were tightened at 10Ncm using a digital torque wrench. Sterilization cycles of 135 °C for 30 minutes were applied to each scan body and a new set of microscopic measurements were repeated after each of the ten cycles. Statistical analysis was completed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey test, p value was set to 0.05.
Results: Goup C possessed the largest microgap (285.307 ± 9.171 mm) compared to Group A (151.017 ± 6.486 mm) and Group B (96.911 ± 3.98 mm), p value <0.05. Regarding angular and linear measurements, no statistically significant changes were observed after 10 sterilization cycles, p value >0.05.
Conclusions: Scan bodies of varying compositions resist ten cycles of sterilization without changes in the linear, angular, or micro gap dimensions. The micro gap is larger in the snap-retained scan bodies than in the screw-retained scan bodies.