Nonsurgical Miniscrew-Assisted Rapid Maxillary Expansion Results in Acceptable Stability in Young Adults
Nonsurgical Miniscrew-Assisted Rapid Maxillary Expansion Results in Acceptable Stability in Young Adults
Nonsurgical Miniscrew-Assisted Rapid Maxillary Expansion Results in Acceptable Stability in Young Adults
ABSTRACT
Objective: To evaluate the stability of nonsurgical miniscrew-assisted rapid maxillary expansion
(MARME) in young adults with a transverse maxillary deficiency.
Materials and Methods: From a total of 69 adult patients who underwent MARME followed by
orthodontic treatment with a straight-wire appliance, 20 patients (mean age, 20.9 6 2.9 years) with
follow-up records (mean, 30.2 6 13.2 months) after debonding were selected. Posteroanterior
cephalometric records and dental casts were obtained at the initial examination (T0), immediately
after MARME removal (T1), immediately after debonding (T2), and at posttreatment follow-up (T3).
Results: Suture separation was observed in 86.96% of subjects (60/69). An increase in the maxillary
width (J-J; 1.92 mm) accounted for 43.34% of the total expansion with regard to the intermolar width
(IMW) increase (4.43 mm; P , .001) at T2. The amounts of J-J and IMW posttreatment changes
were 20.07 mm (P . .05) and 20.42 mm (P 5 .01), respectively, during retention. The
postexpansion change in middle alveolus width increased with age (P , .05). The postexpansion
change of interpremolar width (IPMW) was positively correlated with the amount of IPMW expansion
(P , .05) but not with IMW. The changes of the clinical crown heights in the maxillary canines, first
premolars, and first molars were not significant at each time point.
Conclusions: Nonsurgical MARME can be a clinically acceptable and stable treatment modality
for young adults with a transverse maxillary deficiency. (Angle Orthod. 0000;00:000–000.)
KEY WORDS: MARME; Transverse maxillary deficiency; Adults; Stability
Figure 2. Fixation of the miniscrew-assisted rapid maxillary expansion (MARME) device and periapical views before and after expansion.
(A) A MARME appliance. (B) Before expansion. (C) After 2 weeks of expansion, a diastema caused by splitting of the midpalatal suture can
be observed.
bone formation in the separated maxillary suture. status of the patients (Table 2; Figure 3). All linear
Subsequently, the patients underwent orthodontic measurements were corrected for magnification using
treatment with a straight-wire appliance. After fixed the scale in each cephalometric film. On the study casts,
orthodontic treatment, removable circumferential re- the width of the maxillary dental arch and the average
tainers were worn at night by all subjects during clinical crown heights were measured. The change in
retention. crown height was used to measure the buccal attach-
ment loss at different time points (T0, T2, and T3).
Measurement Time Points
Dental casts and PA cephalograms (Cranex 3+ Reliability
ceph, Soredex, Helsinki, Finland) were obtained Reproducibility was determined by comparing mea-
before treatment (T0), immediately after MARME surements obtained from original examinations with
removal (T1), immediately after debonding (T2), and those obtained from repeated examinations. All mea-
posttreatment (T3). To minimize positional errors surements were repeated by the same observer after
caused by rotations through the transverse hinge axis, 2 weeks. The method error was calculated by using
the PA cephalograms were obtained in the natural the intraclass correlation coefficient, which was .0.95
head position, with the vertical distance from the for all cephalometric and cast variables measured in
middle point of the ear rod of the X-ray machine to the this study.
exocanthus of the patient being identical at all time
points, as previously described.13
Statistical Analysis
Cast and Cephalometric Analyses All statistical analyses were performed with IBM
SPSS software, version 21.0 (IBM Korea Inc, Seoul,
On the PA cephalograms, nasal cavity width (N-N),
Korea) for Windows. Based on the preliminary study,
maxillary width (J-J), and middle alveolus width (Ma-
a minimum sample size of 10 was required (G*Power
Ma) were digitized by using V-ceph 5.5 (Osstem, Seoul,
3, Dusseldorf, Germany) using a significance level of
Korea) by one observer who was blinded to the clinical
a P value less than .05, a power of 90%, and an effect
Table 1. Characteristics of Subjectsa size of 0.21 to detect differences in skeletal and dental
changes at each time point using a repeated-mea-
Total (N 5 20)
sures analysis of variance (RMANOVA).
Sex The Shapiro–Wilk test was used to verify the
Men 10
Women 10 normality of the data distributions. Descriptive
Age at treatment initiation, year 20.9 6 2.9, (range, 18– statistics, including means and standard deviations,
28) were used to describe each variable analyzed in the
Time from end of expansion to debonding 17.4 6 6.4 study.
(T2–T1, months)
Total treatment duration (T2–T0, months) 21.6 6 6.4 RMANOVA was used to evaluate treatment and
Post-treatment duration (T3–T2, months) 30.2 6 13.2 posttreatment changes over time (T0, T1, T2, and T3).
a
Values are expressed as means 6 standard deviations. T0
Since there were six t tests for skeletal and dental
indicates at the initial examination; T1, immediately after MARME changes, the level of significance was corrected by using
removal; T2, immediately after debonding; T3, at posttreatment. the Bonferroni correction (a 5 .05/6) to prevent type 1 error.
Correlations among treatment (T1–T0) and post- (P , .001; Table 3; Figure 4). The midpalatal suture
expansion changes (T3–T1) and other variables were opened in a triangular shape, with the smallest increase
evaluated by using Pearson correlation coefficient. observed in N-N (1.07 mm) and the largest increase
With regard to the strengths of the correlations, r . .40 observed in intermolar width (IMW; 8.32 mm; Table 4).
indicated a moderate-to-strong correlation, and r , .40 Expansion of IMW was 3.94 times greater than that
indicated a weak correlation. of J-J (2.11 mm).
Immediately after debonding (T2), the change in all
RESULTS skeletal variables was negligible, averaging 20.24 to
20.19 mm (Table 4). However, greater postexpansion
Among the 69 patients, nine (eight men and one change was noted across the first molars (23.89 mm;
woman; mean age, 21.6 6 2.9 years; range, 19–26 P , .001) at T2. An increase in J-J (1.92 mm)
years) exhibited failure of maxillary expansion; there- accounted for 43.34% of the total expansion with regard
fore, the success rate of MARME was 86.96% in this to IMW increase (4.43 mm; P , .001; Figure 5) at T2.
study (Figure 1). After treatment (T3), none of the patients showed
Immediately after MARME removal (T1), all skeletal relapse of the posterior crossbite or edge-to-edge bite.
and dental variables were larger at T1 than at T0 Interpremolar width (IPMW) and IMW were smaller at
Figure 3. Skeletal and dental measurements. (A) N-N, nasal cavity width; J-J, maxillary width; Ma-Ma, middle alveolus width. (B) ICW,
intercanine width; IPMW, interpremolar width; IMW, intermolar width; CH3, clinical crown height of the canine; CH4, clinical crown height of the
first premolar; CH6, clinical crown height of the first molar.
Table 3. Mean and Standard Deviation of Skeletal and Dental Variables at Each Time Pointa
Variable T0 T1 T2 T3 P Valueb
Skeletal
N-N, mm 32.79 6 2.011 33.86 6 2.322 33.65 6 2.342 33.58 6 2.392 ,.001
J-J, mm 72.89 6 4.111 75.00 6 4.202 74.82 6 4.072 74.75 6 4.082 ,.001
Ma-Ma, mm 66.69 6 4.891 68.94 6 5.382 68.69 6 5.292 68.64 6 5.282 ,.001
Dental
ICW, mm 33.97 6 1.601 36.83 6 1.593 36.35 6 1.572 36.26 6 1.572 ,.001
IPMW, mm 35.05 6 1.141 41.14 6 1.173 39.21 6 1.192 38.82 6 1.042 ,.001
IMW, mm 46.94 6 3.351 55.26 6 3.214 51.36 6 2.483 50.95 6 2.652 ,.001
a
N-N indicates nasal cavity width; J-J, maxillary width; Ma-Ma, middle alveolus width; ICW, intercanine width; IPMW, interpremolar width;
IMW, intermolar width; T0, at the initial examination; T1, immediately after MARME removal; T2, immediately after debonding; T3, at
posttreatment. Increasing mean values are expressed in ascending numerical order.
b
By repeated-measures analysis of variance with Bonferroni correction.
Table 4. Effect of Time on Treatment and Posttreatment Changes After MARME Removala
T1–T0 T2–T0 T3–T0
95% CI 95% CI 95% CI
b b a
Variable Difference Min/Max P Value Difference Min/Max P Value Difference Min/Max P Value
Skeletal
N-N, mm 1.07 0.63/1.51 ,.001 0.86 0.42/1.29 .003 0.79 0.31/1.27 .016
J-J, mm 2.11 1.54/2.68 ,.001 1.92 1.33/2.52 ,.001 1.85 1.26/2.45 ,.001
Ma-Ma, mm 2.24 1.59/2.90 ,.001 2.00 1.37/2.63 ,.001 1.95 1.34/2.57 ,.001
Dental
ICW, mm 2.86 2.07/3.64 ,.001 2.38 1.59/3.16 ,.001 2.29 1.50/3.08 ,.001
IPMW, mm 6.09 5.37/6.81 ,.001 4.16 3.44/4.88 ,.001 3.77 3.14/4.40 ,.001
IMW, mm 8.32 7.27/9.37 ,.001 4.43 3.38/5.48 ,.001 4.01 2.96/5.06 ,.001
a
N-N, nasal cavity width; J-J, maxillary width; Ma-Ma, middle alveolus width; ICW, intercanine width; IPMW, interpremolar width; IMW,
intermolar width; T0, at the initial examination; T1, immediately after MARME removal; T2, immediately after debonding; T3, at posttreatment; CI,
confidence interval; NS, not statistically significant.
b
By repeated-measures analysis of variance with Bonferroni correction.
because of the lack of controlled study, especially in the PA cephalograms were obtained with calibration
adults. Obviously, SARME can secure the basal bone and standardization, projection errors may be unavoid-
expansion in most attempted cases. However, the able. 21 However, scanning voxel size and soft
amount of basal bone expansion and its stability in this tissue condition can also affect the accuracy of the
study can be comparable to those of surgical measurement from cone-beam computed tomogra-
expansion.16 Further controlled studies are required phy images.22 To demonstrate the clinical efficacy
among different treatment modalities. of MARME compared with conventional RME or
There was a significant correlation between the SARME, additional case-controlled studies are
amount of expansion and postexpansion change in the required.
maxillary first premolar region (Table 5). The rigid
structure of RMEs tends to induce parallel expansion CONCLUSIONS
of IMPW and IMW.17,18 As a result, the premolars may
be lingually relocated during alignment according to N Suture separation was observed in 86.96% subjects
arch form. In addition, with increasing age, the amount (60/69) in this study.
of IPMW postexpansion change was large if the N Skeletal changes (about 2 mm) and dental changes
dentoalveolar changes were significant. With age, the (about 4 mm) remained stable during retention.
rigidity of the craniofacial skeleton could limit skeletal N Postexpansion change in the middle alveolus width
effects of MARME.2,3 was correlated with age. The postexpansion change
Handelman reported that the maxillary arch width in IPMW, but not IMW, was positively correlated with
could be maintained after debonding following con- the amount of IPMW expansion.
ventional RME.19 Nevertheless, previous studies have N The clinical crown heights of the maxillary canines,
frequently warned of the risk of gingival recession and/ first premolars, and first molars were not significantly
or bony dehiscence caused by dentoalveolar expan- different during retention.
sion.3,12,20 In contrast, clinical crown heights were not
significantly different in the treatment and posttreat-
ment periods in this study (Figure 6). Gingival re-
cession of , 0.21 mm to 0.52 mm was not clinically
significant during orthodontic treatment with MARME,
which was in accordance with the findings of Lin et al.11
Use of the miniscrew could distribute the stress
throughout the palate, decreasing the concentration
of the stress around the anchor teeth.17
To overcome the retrospective nature of this study,
all attempted cases were collected and followed
regardless of the treatment outcome. In addition,
measurement of the clinical crown height is an indirect
quantification of buccal attachment loss, which does Figure 5. Schematic diagram after MARME. T0, at the initial
not directly reflect hard tissue attachment.19 Although examination; T2, immediately after debonding; T3, at posttreatment.
Table 4. Extended
T2–T1 T3–T2
95% CI 95% CI
b b
Difference Min/Max P Value Difference Min/Max P Value
Table 5. Correlations Among Treatment and Postexpansion Changes and Other Variablesa
Variable
J-J (T3–T1) Ma-Ma (T3–T1) ICW (T3–T1) IPMW (T3–T1) IMW (T3–T1)
Age .250 2.597* .197 .066 .240
Sex .520 .174 2.082 .248 2.206
J-J (T1–T0) 2.491 2.524 .355 .438 .500
Ma-Ma (T1–T0) 2.127 2.169 .073 .027 .000
ICW (T1–T0) 2.473 2.141 .115 2.201 .159
IPMW (T1–T0) 2.227 2.305 .192 2.587* 2.049
IMW (T1–T0) 2.155 2.087 .099 2.118 2.082
a
J-J, maxillary width; Ma-Ma, middle alveolus width; ICW, intercanine width; IPMW, interpremolar width; IMW, intermolar width; T0, at the
initial examination; T1, immediately after MARME removal; T3, at posttreatment. Sex (men, 0; women, 1).
* P , .05.
N The amounts of skeletal and dental postexpansion N These findings suggest that nonsurgical MARME
changes were considered clinically acceptable, can be a clinically acceptable and stable treat-
since none of the subjects presented obvious ment modality for maxillary constriction in young
dental posterior crossbite or edge-to-edge bite, adults.
respectively.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research was supported by Basic Science Research
Program Through the National Research Foundation of
Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and
Technology (2009-0075637).
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