Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
04:11
The Establishment of a Murine Maxillary Orthodontic Model
Published on: October 27, 2023
Primary migration of a mini-implant under a functional orthodontic loading
Joseph W Pittman1, Anand Navalgund, Steve H Byun
1Division of Orthodontics, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, 4088 Postle Hall, 305W 12th, Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
Clinical Oral Investigations
|July 18, 2013
Summary
Bone mineral density, not cortical thickness, influences mini-implant migration. Viscoelastic creep contributes to early-stage mini-implant movement under functional orthodontic load, potentially increasing risks.
Area of Science:
- Orthodontics
- Biomaterials Science
- Bone Physiology
Background:
- Mini-implants are crucial for orthodontic anchorage.
- Understanding factors influencing early mini-implant stability is essential for treatment success.
- Cortical bone thickness and bone mineral density (BMD) are potential determinants of implant stability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if cortical bone thickness and BMD explain primary mini-implant migration.
- To assess early-stage migration under functional orthodontic tangential loading.
- To determine the role of creep in mini-implant displacement.
Main Methods:
- Human mandibular sections with mini-implants were subjected to a constant tangential load (2 N).
- Viscoelastic creep was measured as displacement over 2 hours.
- Total migration (elastic displacement + creep) was recorded.
- Cone beam computed tomography was used to measure cortical bone thickness and BMD.
Main Results:
- Bone mineral density (BMD) showed a significant correlation with mini-implant displacement parameters (p < 0.019).
- Cortical bone thickness did not significantly correlate with displacement (p > 0.272).
- Substantial creep led to permanent bone deformation adjacent to the implant.
Conclusions:
- BMD is a key factor controlling the primary migration of mini-implants in mandibular bone.
- Viscoelastic creep can cause mini-implant migration even under low, constant functional orthodontic loads.
- Early mini-implant migration under clinical load levels may increase risks to adjacent vital structures.
