Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41348293›Full record

ArticleProgress in orthodontics2025

Unwanted creaniofacial fractures in MARPE/MASPE patients: a hidden risk?

Andre Walter, Heinz Winsauer, Eduardo Crespo, Ignacio Arcos, Adaia Valls-Ontañón, Andreu Puigdollers-Perez, Federico Hernández-Alfaro

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Article in Progress in orthodontics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Andre WalterDepartment of Orthodontics, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain. andy@clinicawalter.com.
Heinz WinsauerPrivate Orthodontic Practice, Bregenz, Austria.
Eduardo CrespoPrivate Orthodontic Practice, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Ignacio ArcosDepartment of Orthodontics, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
Adaia Valls-OntañónDepartment of Maxillofacial Surgery, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
Andreu Puigdollers-PerezDepartment of Orthodontics, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
Federico Hernández-AlfaroDepartment of Maxillofacial Surgery, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMiniscrew-assisted palatal expansion techniques such as MARPE (Miniscrew-Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion) and MASPE (Miniscrew-Assisted Slow Palatal Expansion) represents non-surgical alternatives for the correction of transverse maxillary deficiencies in adults. However, concerns have arisen regarding their potential to cause craniofacial complications due to the high forces applied for midpalatal suture opening in skeletally mature patients. METHODOLOGY: This article aims to present and describe isolated clinical cases of cranialfacial complications observed in adult patients following MARPE and MASPE procedures, and to discuss the potential biomechanical mechanisms behind these events. Eleven clinical cases involving adult patients who underwent skeletal midface expansion with miniscrew-assisted devices are presented. All cases exhibited craniofacial unwanted dislocations identified through CBCT imaging, including zygomatic fractures, parasutural bone fractures, and asymmetrical disjunction of craniofacial sutures. These events were retrospectively documented through clinical follow-up and radiographic analysis.

resultsAmong the eleven cases presented, complications included seven asymmetric fractures of the frontonasal process, two orbital fractures, one zygomatic bone fracture, and one parasagittal fracture of the palatine bone. These complications were primarily observed in patients who underwent MARPE with rapid activation protocols. One minor complication occurred in a MASPE case, where the patient followed the prescribed slow activation schedule.

conclusionNon surgical mid facial expansion is a potential source of unwanted and unpredicted dislocations in the craneofacial complex. According to this report the observed complications do not seem to be age related and are difficult to predict from the CBCT. A close clinical follow up including force monitoring and force limitation should be mandatory when performing MARPE. MASPE and minimally invasive SARPE could be alternatives to minimise the incidence of creaniofacial complications.

Indexed as

Facial BonesFacial InjuriesPalatal Expansion TechniquePostoperative ComplicationsSkull FracturesAdultBiomechanical PhenomenaBone ScrewsCone-Beam Computed TomographyCranial SuturesFemaleHumansMaleRetrospective StudiesYoung AdultCranial fracturesExpansionMARPEMASPEMiniscrewsSARPE

Identifiers

PMID41348293
PMCPMC12680809

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.