INTRODUCTION: Our objective was to enable accurate miniscrew placement after preoperative simulation. We developed a new template for miniscrew placement and evaluated its accuracy. METHODS: Eleven patients who had bimaxillary protrusion were scanned with computed tomography. The 3-dimensional computed tomography data were used to produce, with stereolithography apparatus, a template for accurate miniscrew placement. The interradicular space available for miniscrew placement was calculated in the 3-dimensional images. Postoperative computed tomography images were matched with preoperative images to calculate the deviations between the planned and actual placements. RESULTS: The distance for placement of a miniscrew between 2 roots was 4.12 mm (SD, 0.25 mm; range, 3.7-4.5 mm). The placed miniscrews showed an average angular deviation of 1.2 degrees (SD, 0.43 degrees ; range, 0.6 degrees -2.41 degrees ) compared with the plan, whereas the mean linear distomesial deviation was 0.42 mm (SD, 0.13 mm; range, 0.15-0.6 mm) at the tip. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed template has high accuracy and will be especially useful for patients who require precise miniscrew placement. 2010 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
INTRODUCTION: Our objective was to enable accurate miniscrew placement after preoperative simulation. We developed a new template for miniscrew placement and evaluated its accuracy. METHODS: Eleven patients who had bimaxillary protrusion were scanned with computed tomography. The 3-dimensional computed tomography data were used to produce, with stereolithography apparatus, a template for accurate miniscrew placement. The interradicular space available for miniscrew placement was calculated in the 3-dimensional images. Postoperative computed tomography images were matched with preoperative images to calculate the deviations between the planned and actual placements. RESULTS: The distance for placement of a miniscrew between 2 roots was 4.12 mm (SD, 0.25 mm; range, 3.7-4.5 mm). The placed miniscrews showed an average angular deviation of 1.2 degrees (SD, 0.43 degrees ; range, 0.6 degrees -2.41 degrees ) compared with the plan, whereas the mean linear distomesial deviation was 0.42 mm (SD, 0.13 mm; range, 0.15-0.6 mm) at the tip. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed template has high accuracy and will be especially useful for patients who require precise miniscrew placement. 2010 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.