Effect of placement angle, diameter, length and bone density on the pull-out strength of orthodontic mini-implants: An in vitro study.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of the placement angle, diameter, length and bone density on the mechanical stability of orthodontic mini-implants by measuring their pull-out strengths.

Design: A total of 120 mini-implants of four different dimensions made from titanium were used. They measured 1.3 × 6.0mm, 1.3 × 8.0 mm, 1.5 × 6.0 mm and 1.5 × 8.0 mm. Synthetic polyurethane bone blocks (Saw Bones, USA) in two different densities were used.

Setting: Each size of mini-implant was inserted equidistantly into synthetic bone blocks of two different densities, in three different insertion angles of 30°, 60° and 90°. This resulted in 24 test groups with five mini-implants allocated to each group.

Methods: The pull-out strength was measured using an Instron Universal Testing Machine exerting a vertical force parallel to the long axis of the mini-implant until removal or failure occurred. Peak load at failure of the mini-implant was recorded in kN.

Results: Showed that mini-implants placed at an insertion angle of 30° offered least resistance to pull-out. Mini-implants 6.0 mm in length showed less pull-out strength compared to the longer 8.0-mm mini-implants. Mini-implants 1.3 mm in diameter provided similar pull-out values as 1.5-mm mini-implants. Bone densities of 0.20 g/cc and 0.32 g/cc did not affect the pull-out strength of mini-implants.

Conclusion: From the study, it was concluded that a logical choice of mini-implant dimension and prudent use of placement technique can help achieve the treatment goals with a reduced hazard of mini-implant failure.