Anatomical foundations for palatal anchorage

Abstract

Introduction: the hard palate, due to its central location and dense bone structure, has become a preferred area for the placement of temporary anchorage devices, such as mini-implants, especially in procedures such as Mini-implant Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion (MARPE). Morphological studies have demonstrated that bone thickness and density vary according to specific clinical factors. Therefore, this study aims to obtain anatomical information for skeletal anchorage in the palate by measuring the thickness of different sections. Materials and Methods: this study employed an experimental design using 20 palatal bones. These were divided into eight sections to standardise the measurement sites for bone thickness. The thickness of each fragment was measured with a digital calliper, and their means and side-to-side comparisons were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics software. Results: statistically significant differences were observed between the sides in one region, SEC6 (p < 0.05). The other regions showed no significant differences. Conclusion: sectional analysis demonstrated that, especially in regions 1 to 5 (anterior), bone thickness was more favourable, with section 2 standing out as the most suitable. The finding of asymmetries in some regions reinforces the importance of a detailed and personalised anatomical assessment.