Effect of cyclic fatigue on static fracture loads in ProTaper nickel-titanium rotary instruments.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate static fracture loads of ProTaper Nickel-Titanium instruments that had been subjected to various degrees of cyclic fatigue. Torque and angle at failure of new instruments and instruments that had been stressed to 30, 60, or 90% of their cyclic fatigue rotations in a simulated canal (90 degrees and 5 mm radius) were tested according to ISO 3630-1. With unused ProTaper instruments, resistance to cyclic fatigue decreased with diameter increase and ranged from 158 to 450 rotations.