Evaluation of Fracture Resistance of Orthodontic Mini-implants in the Transmucosal Profile Region.

AIM This study sought to compare the fracture resistance of three trademarked orthodontic mini-implants in the transmucosal profile region. Thirty-six mini-implants of three different brands, separated into groups I, II and III, were tested. Each group consisted of 12 mini-implants of 6 mm in length. The mean diameter and length of the transmucosal profile of the mini-implants were 1.90 and 2.0 mm in group I, 1.77 and 1.0 mm in group II and 1.50 and 1.0 mm in group III, respectively. The tests were performed on a universal testing machine in compression mode, with a 2,000 kgf load, a speed of 4.0 mm per minute and a chisel-shaped active tip, which acted cross-sectionally on the transmucosal profile. Single-criterion analysis of variance was used to compare the three brands. A significance level of 5% and test power of 80% were adopted. The mean fracture resistance achieved by the mini-implants was 172.03 ± 25.59 N for group I, 162.35 ± 30.81 N for group II and 139.69 ± 42.99 N for group III. There was no statistically significant difference in mean fracture resistance among the tested mini-implant brands. CONCLUSION The transmucosal profile diameter does not seem to be a deciding factor in the choice of mini-implants to minimize the risk of fractures. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Although being an in vitro study it is possible to believe that this new brand has a very satisfactory resistance to fracture and enables its use with great efficiency.