The stress and deformation effect of novel rapid maxillary expanders by finite element analysis

• Main Authors: Lu, Ting Yin, Ahmad, Mohamad Ali, Wan Hassan, Wan Nurazreena, Hariri, Firdaus
• Format: Article
• Published: Springer Verlag (Germany) 2022
• Subjects: R Medicine; RK Dentistry
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/41413/
• Institution: Universiti Malaya

The aim of the study was to analyse the stress and deformation of different types of rapid maxillary expanders under activation utilising finite element analysis. Methods Three novel rapid maxillary expanders, named RaMEX 1P, RaMEX 1B and RaMEX 1B(variant), were designed in this study. Prior to their subsequent customised clinical application as patient-specific implants, finite element analysis of these prototypes was performed to assess the stress and deformation of the expanders under activation. All the expanders were meshed in Workbench 2021R1 (Ansys, Canosburg, Penn.) and analysed with Mechanical 2021 (Ansys, Canosburg, Penn.) for the parameters of total deformation, elastic strain, equivalent stress and volume changes. Results RaMEX 1P showed the least change in all four parameters with a total deformation of 1.46 x 10(-7) m, elastic strain of 3.25 x 10(-5), equivalent stress of 3.47 x 10(6) Pa and a volume change of 2.11 x 10(-10) m(3). Conclusion This study showed that RaMEX 1P can be considered a more ideal design for clinical application compared to RaMEX 1B and RaMEX 1B(variant).