Comparison of stainless steel and titanium alloy infrazygomatic crest mini implants by using finite element analysis

The infrazygomatic crest mini implant is one of the temporary anchorage devices that have been widely used as skeletal anchorage in cases where specific orthodontic movements have to be obtained with absolute anchorage. Titanium and stainless steel are the materials of choice for orthodontic mini implants due to the specific properties of each of them. The purpose of this study was to compare between titanium and stainless steel infrazygomatic crest mini implant regarding the stress generated by each of them using finite element analysis. Three dimensional models of maxillary and zygomatic bone with mini implants (Ortho Bone screw, mushroom 2.0; Dentos Abso anchor, small head type SH 2018-12) were constructed, both mini implants have been inserted in the infrazygomatic crest area at angle of 70 degree and 14 mm above the occlusal plane. Two different scenarios then performed on each mini implant with forces of 300 g for maxillary molar distalization and 150 g for maxillary molar intrusion using close coil spring. Stress/strain patterns generated on cortical bone, cancelous bone, mini implants and roots of the maxillary first molar were evaluated, then the peak values of PMax, PMin and von Mises stresses were compared between titanium and stainless steel mini implants. In both scenarios peak values of stress were greater in titanium than in stainless steel for all study models. Titanium mini implants create greater stress than stainless steel mini implants when used as anchorage device in the infrazygomatic crest region.