Basic Research—Technology
Cyclic Fatigue Resistance of One Curve,
2Shape, ProFile Vortex, Vortex Blue, and
RaCe Nickel-Titanium Rotary Instruments
in Single and Double Curvature Canals
Amr M. Elnaghy, BDS, MSc, PhD,* and Shaymaa E. Elsaka, BDS, MSc, PhD†
Abstract
Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate and
compare the resistance to cyclic fatigue of the new One
Curve (OC) instrument in double (S-shaped) and single
curvature canals compared with other nickel-titanium
rotary instruments. Methods: Size 25/.06 of OC, 2Shape
(TS), Vortex Blue (VB), ProFile Vortex (PV), and RaCe
(RC) instruments were tested inside artificial canals
with a single curvature (60 curvature, 5 mm radius)
and double curvature (coronal curve, 60 curvature,
5 mm radius; and apical curve, 70 curvature and
2 mm radius) while immersed in saline at
37 C  1 C. The number of cycles to failure (NCF)
was calculated, and the fracture surface was examined
by using a scanning electron microscope. The data of
NCF and fragment length were analyzed by using one-
way analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc tests. The
t test was performed between the data of fragment
length in different curvatures. The level of significance
was set at P < .05. Results: The VB instrument had a
significantly higher NCF compared with the other instru-
ments in double (S-shaped) and single curvature canals
(P < .05). There was no significant difference between
OC and TS in the NCF in single, apical, and coronal dou-
ble curvature canals (P > .05). The lowest NCF values
were recorded for RC instrument in all curvatures
(P < .05). Conclusions: The fatigue resistance of VB
was greater than that of other instruments. OC and TS
instruments displayed superior cyclic fatigue resistance
than PV and RC instruments. (J Endod 2018;44:1725–
1730)
Key Words
Body temperature, cyclic fatigue, double curvature, heat
treatment, One Curve, 2Shape
From the *Department of Endodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt; and †Department of Dental Biomaterials, Faculty of Dentistry,
Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
Address requests for reprints to Dr Amr M. Elnaghy, Department of Endodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Mansoura University, Mansoura, PC 35516, Egypt. E-mail
address: aelnaghy@mans.edu.eg
0099-2399/$ - see front matter
Copyright ª 2018 American Association of Endodontists.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joen.2018.07.023
JOE — Volume 44, Number 11, November 2018
T hermomechanical treat-
ment of nickel-titanium
(NiTi) rotary instruments
Significance
Vortex Blue instruments could be used more safely
in double curvature canals because of their higher
is commonly applied to
fatigue resistance. The thermally treated NiTi alloy
improve the microstructure
exhibited superior fatigue resistance than conven-
and transformation behavior
tional nickel-titanium instruments.
of instruments and, conse-
quently, has a great effect
on the performance of NiTi instruments (1–3). Heat treatment attends to form an optimal
phase transition point between martensite and austenite phases (2–5) to improve the
fatigue resistance of NiTi instruments (6–8).
Vortex Blue instruments (VB) (Dentsply Tulsa Dental Specialties, Tulsa, OK) are
based on Blue Technology, which is a result of a proprietary manufacturing process that
controls the shape memory property and forms a blue oxide surface layer (1, 9).
M-Wire technology (Dentsply Tulsa Dental Specialties) has been introduced to
enhance the fatigue resistance and flexibility of NiTi instruments (10–12). ProFile
Vortex instruments (PV) (Dentsply Tulsa Dental Specialties) are manufactured from
M-Wire (10). 2Shape instruments (TS) (Micro-Mega, Besancon, France) are manufac-
tured by a proprietary heat treatment (T-Wire) that is claimed to enhance the flexibility
and cyclic fatigue resistance of instruments (13). TS instruments are available in 2 sizes,
which are TS1 (size 25/.04) and TS2 (size 25/.06), to shape the root canal. TS instru-
ments feature a triple helix cross-section design that is claimed by the manufacturer to
improve the cutting efficiency and debris removal (13).
Single-file NiTi systems require only 1 instrument to prepare the root canal and
consequently less time than full-sequence rotary instruments (14). In 2017, One Curve
(OC) (Micro Mega) single-file NiTi system was developed. It is based on one single in-
strument for shaping the root canal. The OC instruments are manufactured from a
C-Wire by using a proprietary heat treatment. The OC instruments display a controlled
memory of NiTi and the ability to pre-bend the instrument for enhancing the shaping of
root canal as claimed by the manufacturer (15). The OC instruments have variable cross
section along the blade for better centering ability and cutting efficiency (15).
Fracture of rotary instruments occurs because of cyclic fatigue and torsional stress
(16, 17). Fatigue fracture of instrument occurs as a result of repetitive cycles of tension
and compression (18). The degree of canal curvature is considered one of the signif-
icant factors that might contribute to instrument fracture (19, 20). During root canal
instrumentation, an S-shaped (double curvatures) can be found in the same canal,
Cyclic Fatigue Resistance of One Curve 1725
Basic Research—Technology
which is a challenging clinical situation (20). In addition, in most cases
it is difficult to detect such curvatures in traditional radiograph because
they can only be seen from a distal or mesial view. Consequently, the
possibility of fracture of NiTi rotary instruments inside the root canal
increased during instrumentation (20).
Accordingly, the aim of this study was to evaluate the cyclic fatigue
resistance of the new OC instrument in a double (S-shaped) and single
curvature compared with other NiTi rotary instruments. The null hy-
pothesis tested was that there was no difference in the cyclic fatigue
resistance between the tested NiTi rotary instruments in single and dou-
ble curvatures.
Materials and Methods
Cyclic Fatigue Resistance
Five NiTi instruments, OC, TS, VB, PV and RaCe (RC) (FKG Den-
taire, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland), size 25/.06 (n = 40/system),
were used for this study. A custom-made device with double
(n = 20/system) and single (n = 20/system) canal curvatures was
used for testing the cyclic fatigue testing as illustrated in previous studies
(20, 21). Two types of artificial canals, with size 30/.08, were milled in
stainless steel block. In the double curvature canal, the coronal curve
had a 60 angle of curvature with a radius of 5 mm, located 8 mm
from the tip of the instrument, and the apical curvature had a 70
angle of curvature with a radius of 2 mm with a center 2 mm from
the tip. The single curvature canal had a 60 angle of curvature with
a radius of 5 mm, and the center of the curve was located 6 mm
from the tip of the instrument.
The instruments were rotated (X-Smart; Dentsply Sirona, York,
PA) according to manufacturer’s recommended speed and torque for
each system and tested while immersed in saline at 37 C  1 C. The
time to fracture was recorded and stopped as soon as a fracture of
the instrument was visually detected. The number of cycles to failure
(NCF) for the apical, coronal, and single curvatures was calculated.
In double-curved canal, if the fracture happened first in the apical cur-
vature, the time to fracture and NCF were also recorded for the coronal
fragment (20). The length of the fractured fragment was measured. Sur-
face topography images of 5 specimens of fractured instruments of each
system and curvature were analyzed by using a scanning electron micro-
scope (SEM) (Leo-440; LEO Electron Microscopy Ltd, Cambridge, UK).
Statistical Analysis
The data of NCF and length of fractured fragments were analyzed
(SPSS 20.0; SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL) by one-way analysis of variance and
Tukey post hoc tests. The t test was performed between the data of frag-
ment length (FL) in different curvatures. The level of significance was set
at P < .05.
TABLE 1. Mean  Standard Deviation of NCF and Length (mm) of Fractured Fragments Registered during Cyclic Fatigue Testing
Single curvature
Groups NCF FL
A A
OC 384.9  42.3 5.2  0.1
TS 358.2  39.7A 5.1  0.1
VB 512.2  29.7B 5.1  0.2
PV 305.7  47.7C 5.2  0.2
RC 205.7  19.1D 5.1  0.1
Different superscript uppercase letters (column) indicate statistically significant difference (P < .05).
1726 Elnaghy and Elsaka
Results
The data of NCF and FL for different instruments are presented in
Table 1. The double curved canal revealed statistically lower NCF value
than the single curvature (P < .05). In the double curved canal, the in-
struments broke first in the apical curvature, followed by coronal cur-
vature. In single and coronal double curvature canals, VB instrument
had a significantly higher NCF compared with the other groups
(P < .05). There was no significant difference between OC and TS in
the NCF in single, apical, and coronal double curvature canals
(P = .161, P = .802, and P = .394, respectively). The lowest NCF values
were registered for RC instrument in all curvatures (P < .05). There was
no significant difference in the FL value in all groups (P > .05). How-
ever, the FL in single and coronal curvatures was significantly longer
compared with the length of broken fragments in the apical double cur-
vature canal (P < .05).
Surface topography images of fracture surfaces of broken segment
in single and double curvatures are presented in Figure 1 and Figure 2,
respectively. OC instrument revealed variable cross-section design in
apical and coronal fractured segments in double curvature canals
(Fig. 2A and F, respectively). The instruments revealed the ductile frac-
ture of cyclic fatigue failure (Fig. 1). OC instrument appeared with a
smaller core diameter than other instruments (Fig. 1A). The image of
cross section of each instrument at D5 was taken by using SEM. The Im-
ageJ software (http://rsbweb.nih.gov/ij) was used to measure the area
of each instrument. OC revealed the lowest cross-sectional area
(approximately 48,327 mm2) compared with RC, TS, PV, and VB, which
were 83,515 mm2, 81,450 mm2, 71,480 mm2, and 70,320 mm2,
respectively).
Discussion
The present study compared the fatigue resistance of newly devel-
oped OC instrument with instruments manufactured from different al-
loys or after different heat treatment in single and double curvature
canals while immersed in saline at 37 C  1 C. The instruments
were tested at body temperature to mimic the clinical condition so as
to get dependable data (6, 22, 23). VB, PV, and TS instruments are 3
types of heat-treated NiTi instruments. However, RC instrument was
chosen as one of the classic NiTi instruments manufactured from con-
ventional NiTi alloy. According to the results, the null hypothesis tested
in the current study was rejected because there were significant differ-
ences in the cyclic fatigue resistance when the instruments were tested in
single and double curvature canals (Table 1).
It has been reported that almost all teeth have double curvature on
the basis of radiographic investigations (24). Double curvature canals
reveal a challenging anatomy compared with single-curved canals (20).
In the present study, the instruments tested in double-curved canal
showed lower NCF compared with the single curvature. This finding
is in agreement with previous studies (8, 20, 21).
Double curvature
Apical curvature Coronal curvature
NCF FL NCF FL
A
260.2  35.1 2.1  0.1 308.1  38.4 5.0  0.2
250.3  35.2A 2.0  0.1 292.4  31.4A 5.1  0.1
295.5  37.3B 2.2  0.2 337.1  27.2B 5.1  0.3
190.6  27.6C 2.1  0.1 245.2  23.9C 5.1  0.2
91.7  9.3D 2.1  0.2 124.7  12.6D 5.0  0.2
JOE — Volume 44, Number 11, November 2018
 Basic Research—Technology

Figure 1. Surface topography SEM images (original magnification, 250 and 1000) of the fracture surface of broken fragment in single curvature groups. (A)
OC, (B) TS, (C) VB, (D) PV, and (E) RC. (F–J) High-magnification view (original magnification, 1000) of dimple area of each instrument.

JOE — Volume 44, Number 11, November 2018 Cyclic Fatigue Resistance of One Curve 1727
Basic Research—Technology

Figure 2. Surface topography SEM images of the fracture surface of broken fragment in double curvature groups. (A and F) OC, (B and G) TS, (C and H) VB, (D
and I) PV, and (E and J) RC. (A–E) Fracture of instruments in apical curvature (original magnification, 250) and (F–J) fracture of instruments in coronal cur-
vature (original magnification, 200).

1728 Elnaghy and Elsaka JOE — Volume 44, Number 11, November 2018

Different factors influence the cyclic fatigue resistance of NiTi in-
struments including the manufacturing process, types of raw materials,
and cross-sectional design (25, 26). In the present study, VB instrument
revealed improved fatigue resistance compared with the other
instruments. This finding could be attributed to the NiTi Blue alloy
from which VB instrument is manufactured (9, 27). It has been
reported that the VB instrument showed improved cyclic fatigue
resistance compared with instruments manufactured from M-Wire
alloy and conventional alloy (1, 9, 27). In addition, the metallurgy of
VB instrument reduced the shape memory, which allows the
instrument to pre-bend easily to accomplish a greater taper (9, 28).
This feature allows the instrumentation of curved canal, with a
reduced possibility of instrument fracture inside the canal or
transportation (9, 27).
The newly developed OC and TS instruments revealed enhanced
fatigue resistance compared with PV and RC instruments. The OC instru-
ment is produced from a C-Wire by using a proprietary heat treatment
with a controlled memory property that improved the cyclic fatigue
resistance of the instrument. On the other hand, TS instruments are
manufactured from T-Wire heat-treated alloy that might improve the fa-
tigue resistance. It has been postulated that thermal processing raised
the austenitic transformation temperature of NiTi alloy (29) and
enhanced the arrangement of crystal structure, which accordingly
improved the performance of instrument (9). It has been reported
that the small core diameter improves the cyclic fatigue resistance of
the instrument (30). OC had the lowest core diameter (approximately
48,327 mm2) compared with the other instruments that showed lower
fatigue resistance (RC and PV were 83,515 and 71,480 mm2, respec-
tively). This finding could be considered as another factor that might
enhance the fatigue resistance of OC instrument beside the metallurgy
of the alloy.
The RC instrument had the lowest NCF compared with other instru-
ments. The RC instrument is manufactured from conventional NiTi alloy,
whereas the other instruments are manufactured from heat-treated al-
loys. This finding is in agreement with previous studies (1, 10, 31).
The tested instruments fractured first in the apical curvature
because of the sudden curvature (2 mm radius) compared with
the coronal curvature (5 mm radius). This finding is in agreement
with previous studies that showed that fatigue life of NiTi instruments
is considerably affected by the radius and/or angle of the curvature
(20, 21, 27). There was no significant difference in the mean length
of fractured segment in single and coronal curvatures. On the other
hand, the mean length of fractured segment in single and coronal
curvatures was significantly longer compared with the length of
broken fragments in the apical double curvature canal. This
finding is in agreement with a previous study (20). Fractured frag-
ments showed the typical features of ductile fracture that was caused
by final rupture, with an area of microscopic dimples on fracture
surfaces (Fig. 1).
It is important for clinicians to select the appropriate NiTi rotary
instrument to shape a root canal to avoid the fracture of the instrument
inside the canal with complex curvatures, especially which are sus-
pected to hide a double curvature (20). Further in vivo investigations
are necessary to validate the outcomes of the present study.
VB instrument exhibited greater cyclic fatigue resistance
compared with OC, TS, PV, and RC instruments in artificial canals
with single and double curvatures. OC and TS instruments had greater
cyclic fatigue resistance than PV and RC instruments. The fatigue resis-
tance of heat-treated NiTi alloy was superior to RC conventional NiTi in-
strument.
JOE — Volume 44, Number 11, November 2018
Basic Research—Technology
Acknowledgments
The authors deny any conflicts of interest related to this study.
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JOE — Volume 44, Number 11, November 2018