Rapid maxillary expansion anchored on 2 versus 4 miniscrews during the late adolescence: a three-dimensional dentoskeletal analysis with AI-based tools

• Grant number: 24/17770-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: May 10, 2025
• End date: November 09, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Orthodontics
• Principal Investigator: Daniela Gamba Garib Carreira
• Grantee: Ivan de Souza Silva
• Supervisor: Lucia Helena Cevidanes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru (FOB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Bauru , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Michigan, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/08038-9 - Rapid maxillary expansion anchored on 2 versus 4 miniscrews during late adolescence: a randomized clinical trial, BP.DR

Abstract

Introduction: A major challenge of rapid maxillary expansion (RME) is the age limitation due to skeletal maturation. As age advances, the resistance of the sutures increases, which can limit or even prevent midpalatal suture separation. Objective: This randomized clinical trial aims to compare the dentoskeletal effects after treatment with two protocols of rapid maxillary expansion anchored on 2 and 4 miniscrews in the late adolescence using an artificial intelligence driven three-dimensional analysis. Methods: The sample will be composed of 30 patients with transverse maxillary constriction and age between 15 and 19 years. Patients will be randomized into two groups. The group Hybrid Expander (HH) comprises 15 patients treated with a tooth-bone-borne expander anchored on 2 miniscrews in the anterior region of the palate. The group MARPE comprises 15 patients treated with a tooth-bone-borne expander anchored on 4 miniscrews. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans were obtained before (T1) and after 6 months of therapy (T2). Three-dimensional displacements will be evaluated using previously validated techniques for cranial base superimposition of pre- and post-treatment CBCT images using ITK-SNAP and 3D Slicer softwares. The Slicer Automated Dental Tools module, AMASSS and ALICBCT tools will be used to perform artificial intelligence-based automatic segmentation of craniofacial structures, automatic landmark identification and automatic quantification of 3D displacements. Intergroup comparisons will be performed using independent t tests (p<5%).