Basic ResearchTechnology
Cyclic Fatigue Resistance of Reciproc Blue,
Reciproc, and WaveOne Gold Reciprocating
Instruments
gur Inan, DDS, PhD,* Murat Demiral, DDS,
ul Keskin, DDS, PhD,* U
Cang
and Ali Keles, DDS, PhD*
Abstract
Introduction: The aim of the present study was to
compare the cyclic fatigue resistance of Reciproc Blue
R25 (VDW, Munich, Germany) with Reciproc R25
(VDW) and WaveOne Gold Primary (Denstply Maillefer,
Ballaigues, Switzerland). Methods: Fifteen Reciproc
Blue R25, 15 Reciproc R25, and 15 WaveOne Gold
Primary instruments were collected and tested in a
dynamic cyclic fatigue test device, which has an artificial
canal with a 60 angle of curvature and a 5-mm radius
of curvature. All instruments were operated until
fracture occurred, and time to fracture (TF) and the
lengths of the fractured fragments were recorded. The
mean and standard deviations of TF and fragment
length were calculated for each reciprocating system.
TF data were subjected to Kruskal-Wallis 1-way analysis
of variance and the Dunn test, whereas fractured frag-
ment length data were subjected to 1-way analysis of
variance (P < .05). Results: Reciproc Blue R25 exhibited
the highest cyclic fatigue resistance (P < .05). The cyclic
fatigue resistance values of WaveOne Gold Primary
were significantly higher than those of Reciproc R25
(P < .05). There was no significant difference in the
mean length of the fractured fragments among the
instruments (P > .05). Conclusions: Reciproc Blue
R25 instruments had significantly higher cyclic fatigue
resistance than WaveOne Gold and Reciproc R25
instruments. (J Endod 2017;-:14)
Key Words
Dynamic cyclic fatigue test model, nickel-titanium,
reciprocation
From the *Department of Endodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Ondokuz Mays University, Samsun, Turkey; and Cekmekoy Oral and Dental Health Center, Istanbul,
Turkey.
Address requests for reprints to Dr Cangul Keskin, Department of Endodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey. E-mail address:
canglkarabulut@gmail.com or cangul.keskin@omu.edu.tr
0099-2399/$ - see front matter
Copyright 2017 American Association of Endodontists.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.joen.2017.03.036
JOE Volume -, Number -, - 2017
N ickel-titanium (NiTi)
instrument separation
without warning during
Signicance
This study reported that the novel Reciproc Blue
R25 instrument exhibited higher cyclic fatigue
clinical use has been a
resistance than WaveOne Gold Primary and its
problem ever since the
predecessor Reciproc R25.
introduction of NiTi alloys
(1). The unexpected frac-
ture of files occurs via 2 different mechanisms as torsional stress and cyclic fatigue
(2, 3). Torsional fracture occurs when the tip of the instrument binds into the canal
as the shank continues to rotate and, consequently, the torque exceeds the elastic
limit of the metal (4). Cyclic fatigue failure, which is 1 of the leading reasons for
unexpected instrument separation, is caused by continual tension and compression
stress on the area of maximum root canal curvature (2, 3). There are many factors
contributing to the cyclic fatigue resistance including the kinematics, alloy,
operational setting, and metallurgical properties of the instrument (57).
In 2008, Yared (8) proposed a new approach, which led to a new perspective of
NiTi instrument kinematics. This procedure involved the use of a ProTaper F2
instrument (Tulsa Dentsply, Tulsa, OK) connected to a reciprocating motor performing
clockwise and counterclockwise rotations set at four tenths and two tenths of a circle,
respectively, to complete the root canal preparation with only 1 instrument and to
simplify the armamentarium. The reciprocation motion was reported to increase the
life span of instruments by exposing the instrument to lower stress values than contin-
uous rotation (8, 9). WaveOne Gold (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) is a
recent single-file reciprocating instrument that replaced WaveOne. WaveOne Gold is
improved by the use of Gold wire and a new parallelogram cross-sectional design
with 2 cutting edges. Reciproc R25 (VDW, Munich, Germany) is another single-file
reciprocating instrument manufactured from M-Wire. Reciproc was recently upgraded
to Reciproc Blue by using an innovative heat treatment that transforms the molecular
structure of the alloy and gives the instrument a blue color. This heat treatment has
been reported to increase the flexibility and the cyclic fatigue resistance and to cause
the instrument to show less surface microhardness values compared with its predeces-
sor (10). Both manufacturers of Reciproc Blue and WaveOne Gold claim that thermal
treatments increase the flexibility and cyclic fatigue resistance of the instruments. To our
knowledge, the cyclic fatigue resistance of Reciproc Blue has not been compared with
WaveOne Gold.
The present study aimed to compare the cyclic fatigue resistance of Reciproc Blue
R25 with that of Reciproc R25 and WaveOne Gold Primary instruments. The null
CF Resistance of Reciprocating Instruments 1
Basic ResearchTechnology
hypothesis was that there would be no significant difference in the cyclic
fatigue resistance of the instruments.
Materials and Methods
After inspection at 20 magnification under a stereomicroscope
(SMZ 745T; Nikon, Tokyo, Japan), 15 Reciproc Blue R25 (25.08), 15
Reciproc R25 (25.08), and 15 WaveOne Gold Primary (25.07)
instruments free of visible defects and irregularities were included in
the study.
A dynamic cyclic fatigue testing device was used according to
criteria established in a previous study (11). Cyclic fatigue testing
was performed in a stainless steel artificial canal with an inner diameter
of 1.5 mm, a curvature angle of 60 , and a curvature or radius of 5 mm.
All the instruments were used with a VDW Silver endodontic motor
(VDW) that was connected to the dynamic cyclic fatigue test device using
the preset Reciproc ALL program designed specifically for Reciproc
R25 and Reciproc Blue R25 instruments and the WaveOne ALL
program designed specifically for WaveOne Gold instruments. To
reduce the friction of the instruments, synthetic oil (WD-40, Milton
Keynes, UK) was applied for lubrication of the artificial canal. All the
instruments were operated with a 3-mm/s axial movement until fracture
occurred. At this point, the device stopped automatically, and the time to
fracture (TF) in seconds was recorded. The lengths of the fractured
fragments were measured with a digital caliper and recorded. In
each group, 2 fractured instruments were examined under a scanning
electron microscope (JEOL JSM-7001F; JEOL, Tokyo, Japan), and
photomicrographs of the fractured surfaces were obtained at different
magnifications.
For the cyclic fatigue resistance and length of the fractured
fragments data, the assumption of normality was tested using the
Shapiro-Wilk test. The data obtained on the lengths of the fractured
fragments were also subjected to 1-way analysis of variance. The cyclic
fatigue resistance values were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn
tests and SPSS (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL) with 5% selected as the signifi-
cance level.
Results
Table 1 presents the mean and standard deviation of the TF values
for each instrument. Greater TF values reflected increased cyclic fatigue
resistance. Reciproc Blue R25 instruments were associated with the
highest cyclic fatigue resistance values among all instruments
(P < .05). The cyclic fatigue resistance of WaveOne Gold Primary
was significantly higher than that of Reciproc R25 (P > .05). There
was no significant difference in the mean length of the fractured frag-
ments (P > .05). The scanning electron microscopic photomicro-
graphs revealed typical features of cyclic fatigue failure (Fig. 1).
Discussion
Reciprocating movement was developed mainly to reduce
torsional stress around an instrument, thereby decreasing the rate of
TABLE 1. The Mean and Standard Deviation Values for Time to Fracture (TF) (seconds) and Length of the Fractured Fragment (mm) of the Tested Instruments
Tested instruments
Reciproc Blue R25
WaveOne Gold Primary
Reciproc R25
SD, standard deviation.
Different superscript lowercase letters in the same column indicate a mean significant difference (P < .05).
2 Keskin et al.
torsional failure. Movement kinematics has also been regarded to
influence the cyclic fatigue resistance of NiTi instruments (12). Previous
studies reported that reciprocating motion increases the cyclic fatigue
resistance of NiTi instruments (8, 9, 13). All instruments of available
reciprocating systems are recommended as single-use instruments.
However, single use can include the preparation of at least 3 root canals
in most molar teeth, which may be complex, depending on the anatomy
of root canal system (14). Therefore, testing the cyclic fatigue resistance
of reciprocating instruments is of paramount importance.
Many cyclic fatigue test devices could be used using either static or
dynamic test models. In static models, the instrument rotates in the fixed
length in the artificial canal with no axial movement (15). The present
study used a dynamic cyclic fatigue test model in which the axial move-
ment was set to 3 mm because this type of model was reported to
simulate clinical use more realistically than static models (16, 17).
In dynamic models, the TF value increases because the stress is
distributed along the shaft during back and forth movements in the
axial direction when compared with static test models in which the
stress is concentrated to a constant area (15, 17).
The present study was the first to compare the cyclic fatigue
resistance of Reciproc Blue R25 with that of WaveOne Gold Primary
instruments. The null hypothesis was rejected because the cyclic fatigue
resistance of the Reciproc Blue R25 instruments was significantly higher
than that of the Reciproc R25 and WaveOne Gold Primary instruments.
The effect of thermal treatment of the Reciproc Blue alloy on cyclic
fatigue resistance is evident under the conditions of the present study
because Reciproc Blue R25 and Reciproc R25 instruments have
identical tapers, cross-sectional shapes, and operational modes. The
results of the present study are in accordance with a recent study that re-
ported the superiority of Reciproc Blue over Reciproc (10). Thermally
treated NiTi instruments show phase transformation changes that
enhance the flexibility and cyclic fatigue resistance of the instruments
(18). Reciproc Blue is manufactured from a novel alloy that is coated
by an oxide layer as a result of the thermomechanical process (10). Addi-
tional studies using differential scanning calorimetry are required to
determine the phase transformation behavior of Reciproc Blue R25.
In the present study, the mean cyclic fatigue resistance values of
WaveOne Gold Primary were significantly higher than those of Reciproc
R25. The findings of the present study are in accordance with the
previous literature that reported greater cyclic fatigue resistance of
WaveOne Gold compared with Reciproc (16). WaveOne Gold is manu-
factured from Gold wire using advanced metallurgy and heat treatment
to increase the flexibility of the instrument. The effect of thermomechan-
ical treatment applied to Gold wire has been evaluated using differential
scanning calorimetry, and higher cyclic fatigue resistance values have
been associated with 2-stage specific transformation behavior and
high Af temperature (18).
Apart from the metallurgical differences of these files, their cross-
sectional shape might also contribute to their cyclic fatigue resistance.
WaveOne Gold has a novel parallelogram-shaped cross section,
whereas both Reciproc Blue and Reciproc have S-shaped cross sections
Length of the fractured fragment
TF (s) SD (mm) SD
872.06  155.40a 3.98  0.34a
549.54  186.70b 4.51  0.55a
343.38  92.01c 4.89  0.81a
JOE Volume -, Number -, - 2017
 Basic ResearchTechnology

Figure 1. Scanning electron microscopic surface images of the (A and B) Reciproc Blue R25, (C and D) WaveOne Gold Primary, and (E and F) Reciproc R25. The
white arrows show striation marks. The circled areas depict the abrupt breakage area that finished the ductile fracture.

(16). There exists a lack of consensus on the effect of the cross- type (11, 19, 20). A previous study reported that instruments that had a
sectional shape of an instrument on its cyclic fatigue resistance, but greater metal core mass had reduced fracture resistance (20). Compar-
several studies have indicated the dimension of the cross-sectional ison of the cross-sectional areas of the Reciproc Blue/Reciproc R25 and
area as a more important factor in cyclic fatigue resistance than the alloy WaveOne Gold Primary instruments requires further investigation.

JOE Volume -, Number -, - 2017 CF Resistance of Reciprocating Instruments 3

Basic ResearchTechnology
Conclusions
The Reciproc Blue R25 instruments were significantly more resis-
tant to cyclic fatigue than WaveOne Gold and Reciproc. The enhanced
resistance may be associated with their different manufacturing
processes. Further studies are required to evaluate the phase transfor-
mation behavior pattern to elucidate the advanced metallurgic proper-
ties of Reciproc Blue instruments.
Acknowledgments
The authors deny any conflicts of interest related to this study.
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