Anatomic landmarks and availability of bone for placement of orthodontic mini-implants for normal and short maxillary body lengths
Volume 151, Issue 5, May 2017, Pages 878–886
Introduction
Increasing
numbers of orthodontic mini-implants are placed in the anterior
maxilla. To our knowledge, bone levels and root proximity of patients
with cephalometrically short maxillae have not been investigated before.
The first, second, and third rugae were used as clinical reference
lines, and the aim of this study was to measure bone availability in
that area by comparing patients with short and normal maxillary body
lengths.
Methods
The sample
consisted of 21 patients in each group: short maxillary body length and
normal maxillary body length. The patients’ study models were bisected,
and the outline of the palatal contour was marked on the surface. The
models were scanned, and the palatal contours were superimposed on the
palatal structures of their respective initial cephalometric headfilms,
and the vertical and oblique bone levels of the sagittal plane were
compared using the Student t test. The level of significance was set at P <0 .05.="" p="">
Results
Compared
with maxillae of normal maxillary body length, less bone was available
in maxillae of short maxillary body length. However, the differences did
not reach clinical or statistical significance (P >0.05) at the third rugae.
Conclusions
Almost
equivalent average bone depth at the third rugae in patients with
normal and short maxillary body lengths suggests that this site can be
used for 8-mm long obliquely inserted orthodontic mini-implants.
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