Is there a difference between the primary stability of anodized and non-anodized mini screws subjected to repeated cycles of autoclave sterilization?

Abstract

Objectives: To determine if autoclave sterilization has any deleterious effects on the clinical stability of anodized versus non-anodized mini-screws. Materials and Methods: Thirty anodized and thirty non-anodized Aarhus System mini-screws (American Orthodontics, Sheboygan, WI) were utilized. Each group was divided into three test groups. In each group, mini- screws that were sterilized once using a steam autoclave (Statim 5000, SciCan USA, Canonsburg, Pa) served as the control group (n=10). The other two test groups involved mini-screws that were subjected to a repeated cycles of sterilization for five (n=10) and ten (n=10) times. All sixty mini-screws were inserted at a 90° angle into custom-designed synthetic blocks that simulated the average mandible of a healthy adult. The maximum insertion torque and the lateral displacement at 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, and 1 mm were recorded for each sample and subjected to statistical testing. A two-way ANOVA, and a three-way mixed ANOVA were used for statistical analyses. Results: Maximum insertion torque values displayed significant differences between the anodized and non- anodized groups (p