Optimal specifications for measuring bone-to-implant contact of mini-screws using micro-CT

The use of mini-screws (MSs) as temporary anchorage devices (TADs) is becoming more common in orthodontic treatment. With the increased use of TADs and the numerous manufactures producing them, research is needed to aid orthodontists in their selection of MSs. One of the major advantages of using mini-screw implants is that they can be loaded immediately and do not require osseoitegration.1 For this to be successful, the mini-screw needs to have adequate primary stability to retain itself in the bone. The mini-screw bone system relies on the stability of the mini-screw, the stability of the bone, and the stability of their interface. In the literature, this stability if usually quantified by measuring the pullout force, insertion torque and bone-to-implant contact. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).