Effects of intrabony length and cortical bone density on the primary stability of orthodontic miniscrews

Abstract

Miniscrews have gained recent popularity as temporary anchorage devices in orthodontic treatments, where failure due to sinus perforations or damage to the neighboring roots have increased. Issues regarding miniscrews in insufficient interradicular space must also be resolved. This study aimed to evaluate the primary stability of miniscrews shorter than 6 mm and their feasibility in artificial bone with densities of 30, 40, and 50 pounds per cubic foot (pcf). The primary stability was evaluated by adjusting the intrabony miniscrew length, based on several physical properties: maximum insertion torque (MIT), maximum removal torque (MRT), removal angular momentum (RAM), horizontal resistance, and micromotion. The MIT and micromotion results demonstrated that the intrabony length of a miniscrew significantly affected its stability in low-density cortical bone, unlike cases with a higher cortical bone density (p < 0.05). The horizontal resistance, MRT, and RAM were affected by the intrabony length, regardless of the bone density (p < 0.05). Thus, the primary stability of miniscrews was affected by both the cortical bone density and intrabony length. The effect of the intrabony length was more significant in low-density cortical bone, where the implantation depth increased as more energy was required to remove the miniscrew. This facilitated higher resistance and a lower risk of falling out.