Experimental & FEM Analysis of Orthodontic Mini-Implant Design on Primary Stability

The main objective of this research is to establish a connection between orthodontic mini-implant design, pull-out force and primary stability by comparing two commercial mini-implants or temporary anchorage devices, Tomas®-pin and Perfect Anchor. Mini-implant geometric analysis and quantification of bone characteristics are performed, whereupon experimental in vitro pull-out test is conducted. With the use of the CATIA (Computer Aided Three-dimensional Interactive Application) CAD (Computer Aided Design)/CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing)/CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) system, 3D (Three-dimensional) geometric models of mini-implants and bone segments are created. Afterwards, those same models are imported into Abaqus software, where finite element models are generated with a special focus on material properties, boundary conditions and interactions. FEM (Finite Element Method) analysis is used to simulate the pull-out test. Then, the results of the structural analysis are compared with the experimental results. The FEM analysis results contain information about maximum stresses on implant–bone system caused due to the pull-out force. It is determined that the core diameter of a screw thread and conicity are the main factors of the mini-implant design that have a direct impact on primary stability. Additionally, stresses generated on the Tomas®-pin model are lower than stresses on Perfect Anchor, even though Tomas®-pin endures greater pull-out forces, the implant system with implemented Tomas®-pin still represents a more stressed system due to the uniform distribution of stresses with bigger values.