Do sand blasted with large grit and acid etched surface treated mini-implants remain stationary under orthodontic forces?

Abstract Objectives: To determine the positional stability of sand blasted, large grit, and acid-etched (SLA) surface-treated mini-implants (C-implants) used as the exclusive source of anchorage during en masse retraction. Materials and Methods: A retrospective clinical investigation was performed comparing pretreatment cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images with those taken after en masse retraction of the six anterior teeth. Force was applied to 16 C-implants (1.8 mm in diameter, 8.5 mm in length) placed between the upper second premolars and first molars. Three-dimensional superimposition of CBCT data using mutual information was used to evaluate the positional difference of C-implants between preretraction and postretraction CBCT data. Results: There was no significant difference in mini-implant position between the preretraction and postretraction CBCT evaluation. Conclusions: The SLA-coated C-implant provides stationary anchorage as well as stable anchorage during orthodontic tooth movement.