Design characteristics, primary stability and risk of fracture of orthodontic mini-implants: Pilot scan electron microscope and mechanical studies

Objective: Orthodontic mini-implants (OMIs) are increasingly used in orthodontics but can fail for various reasons. This study investigates the effects of OMI design characteristics on the mechanical properties in artificial bone. Material and Methods: Twelve self-drilling OMIs (2 small, 6 medium, 4 large) from 8 manufacturers were tested for their primary stability in simulated medium-high cancellous bone and the risk to fracture in high-density methacrylate blocks. For the assessments of the maximum insertion torque (IT) and torsional fracture (TF) 5 of each OMI were used and for the pull-out strength (POS) 10. The OMIs were inserted with a torque screwdriver (12 sec/360°) until the bottom at 8 mm depth was reached. OMI designs were analyzed with a scan electron microscope (SEM). Results: SEM images revealed a great variation in product refinement. In the whole sample, a cylindrical OMI shape was associated with higher POS (p