Maxillary Biomechanical Study During Rapid Expansion Treatment with Simplified Model

Rapid maxillary expansion (RME) is a common procedure in the dental practice, indicated to increase the width of the dental arch by means of opening the median palatal suture (MPS). The manner how the separation of MPS occurs depends on its stiffness and that of the surrounding structures. Due to the loads the sutures have to support during RME, they experience a remodeling process, as well as the maxillary and alveolar bones. In this work we describe the mechanical environment generated in the maxillary bone and MPS under orthopedic and functional loads using a computational approach with a simplified three-dimensional model obtained from CT images. We obtained the typical inverted V shape for MPS by applying a 7.5 mm expansion and observed that the two types of loadings applied to maxilla affected importantly the mechanical response of the MPS. Finally, we concluded that, during the REM, circumaxillary sutures have an important role for the deformations at the maxilla and also for the mechanical environment generated in the MPS. The changes in mechanical environment generated in the MPS during expansion and mastication were significant, indicating that both orthopedic and functional forces have to be considered to study the MPS during RME.