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Updated: Apr 20, 2026

Force System with Vertical V-Bends: A 3D In Vitro Assessment of Elastic and Rigid Rectangular Archwires
Published on: July 24, 2018
Comparative analysis of real and ideal wire-slot play in square and rectangular archwires
Luca Lombardo1, Angela Arreghini2, Elena Bratti3
1a Adjunct Professor, Postgraduate School of Orthodontics, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
Objective:
To evaluate the degree to which the height, width, and cross-section of rectangular and square orthodontic archwires affect the play between the archwires and the bracket slot.
Materials And Methods:
The stated measurements (height and width) of 43 archwires from six different manufacturers were compared with real values obtained using a digital gauge. The curvature (radius) of the edge bevels was also measured to calculate the play within the slot, and this measurement was compared with the ideal value.
Results:
The real height and width of the archwires differed from those stated by the manufacturers, falling within the range -6.47% and +5.10%. The curvature of each bevel on each archwire cross-section was shown to differ, and consequently increased the real play between the archwire and slot with respect to the ideal to different degrees.
Conclusions:
The archwire-slot play was greater than the ideal for each archwire considered, inevitably leading to a loss of information within the system.
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