Use of a Kirschner wire for skeletal anchorage

Abstract

A 17-year-old girl was diagnosed with a Class II malocclusion. Titanium screws were inserted into the maxilla for skeletal anchorage, but they loosened and the mucosa became inflamed during the orthodontic treatment because of the poor quality of the maxillary bone. The insertion of a metal plate failed to improve the anchorage for the same reason. We contemplated using the zygomatic bone for skeletal anchorage, and then the use of a Kirschner wire (K-wire) to supplement the anchorage. Kirschner wires have been used for the intramedullary fixation of long bones as well as for treating fractures of the zygoma and mandible.