To cite this article: Prado T, et al.

Evaluation of the force degradation and deformation of the open-closed and open springs of NiTi:
An in vitro study. International Orthodontics (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ortho.2020.05.004

International Orthodontics 2020; //: ///

Websites:
www.em-consulte.com
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Original Article
Evaluation of the force degradation and
deformation of the open-closed and open
springs of NiTi: An in vitro study

Thiago Prado 1, José Guilherme Neves 2, Lourenço Correr-Sobrinho 2, Carolina Carmo Menezes 1,
Giovana Cherubini Venezian 1, Américo Bortolazzo Correr 2, Ana Rosa Costa 1

Available online: 1. School of Dentistry of Araras, Department of Orthodontics, Uniararas, SP, Brazil
2. School of Dentistry of Piracicaba, Department of Restorative Dentistry, Dental
Materials area, UNICAMP, SP, Brazil

Correspondence:
Ana Rosa Costa, University Center of Hermínio Ometto Foudation – FHO, School of
Dentistry of Araras, Department of Orthodontics, Dr Maximiliano Baruto Av, 500,
13607-339 Araras, SP, Brazil.
anarosacosta@fho.edu.br

Keywords Summary
Orthodontics
Open-coil spring Objective > The aim of this study was to evaluate the force degradation and deformation over time
Open-closed coil spring of an open-closed and open coil spring.
Compression Material and methods > 40 NiTi springs were divided into 2 groups according to the manufacturer
Force degradation (20 specimens per group): MorelliTM (Sorocaba, SP, Brazil) and OrthopliTM (Philadelphia, PA, USA).
Deformation Then, they were subdivided into 2 groups according to the type of spring (n = 10): open spring and
open-closed spring. The springs were submitted to the initial compression test in a Universal Test
Machine (Instron) in 43.3% of the initial length and analyzed in 3 points (0.5 mm, 3.25 mm and
6.5 mm). After this, the springs were activated with a 240 gf and those maintained for 4 weeks in
artificial saliva in the oven at 37 8C, and analyzed by a new compression test with the same initial
parameters. Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS)
analyzed the spring's morphology. Two-way repeated measures Analysis of Variance was applied
for each brand and extension of compression. Student t-test with correction of Bonferroni was used
to compare open spring vs open-closed springs and pairwise t-test was used to compare initial vs
final period. The level of significance was set at 95% in all tests. The most representative images
were selected (SEM/EDS).
Results > The OrthopliTM open-closed spring showed a statistically higher deformation (14.52
0.37)
in relation to open spring (14.85
0.19) after 4 weeks (P < 0.05). No statistical difference was
observed between the types of MorelliTM springs (P > 0.05). OrthopliTM open-closed spring showed
force values statistically higher than the open spring in the initial and final time (P < 0.05). Regardless
of the type of spring, the initial force was significantly higher than the final force (P < 0.05).
Conclusions > The orthodontist should not rely on the indicated force range without considering the
type of spring (open or open-closed), the manufacturer and the amount of compression of the spring.

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1

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ortho.2020.05.004
© 2020 CEO. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

ORTHO-484
 To cite this article: Prado T, et al. Evaluation of the force degradation and deformation of the open-closed and open springs of NiTi:
An in vitro study. International Orthodontics (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ortho.2020.05.004
T. Prado, J. Guilherme Neves, L. Correr-Sobrinho, C. Carmo Menezes, G. Cherubini Venezian, A. Bortolazzo Correr, et al.
Original Article
Introduction
In orthodontic treatment, we are often faced with the indication
of opening spaces caused by impacted or strongly crowed teeth,
as well as molar distalization [1,2] which require specific levels
of strength, which can vary from 180 to 240 gf [1,3–6]. Open
springs are designed to provide an expansion force, as indicated
in the opening spaces, while closed springs are intended to
provide compression force (retraction) for closing spaces pro-
vided by the extraction or agenesis of one or more dental
elements [5,6]. In both cases, the application of a specific force
is of fundamental importance according to each case [5,6].
The opening and/or closing of the space can be achieved
through 2 mechanics to perform tooth movement: friction
mechanics (sliding) and mechanics without friction [2]. Sliding
(friction mechanics) is one of the mechanics that can be applied
for opening and closing spaces and in which it is possible to use
elastic or stainless steel or nickel-titanium springs [2,6,7].
Although stainless steel springs are clinically effective, and even
show an average space closure rate higher than NiTi springs [8],
stainless steel springs had significantly limited use as a force
generator in the use of orthodontic clinics, as they produce initial
forces of high magnitude that quickly dissipate, even with small
activations [9]. Elastic chains, on the other hand, have the
potential disadvantage of significantly deteriorating strength
over time. Therefore, NiTi springs seem to be a very interesting
alternative, since the degradation of the force over time is quite
reduced when compared to the elastic chain. [10].
Since NiTi alloys were introduced in orthodontics in the early
1970s [7], their use has been increasingly common due to their
elastic property. Their main advantage are related to the release
of constant force of low intensity, making their load deflection
behaviour non-linear, resulting in springs with high capacity for
flexibility, resilience and low stiffness. [2,7]. Therefore, the tooth
movement produced by NiTi alloys is considered to be more
biological, as these alloys have the effect known as shape
memory and super elasticity, that is, on activation and deacti-
vation they allow a great elastic deflection to occur, producing
forces constant over a long period of time [2,5].
Previous studies have evaluated the deformation and degradation
of open [3,11] and closed NiTi springs [2,5,7,10,12]. However, little
or no study has evaluated the mechanical behaviour of open-closed
springs by comparing them with open springs. Therefore, there is a
need to carry out studies comparing these models of springs,
aiming at their routine use in the dental clinic and favouring the
choice of the orthodontist according to the needs of each case.
Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the degradation
of the force and the deformation of open springs in relation to
the open-closed springs, both of NiTi. The null hypothesis was
that the open-closed springs would show the same pattern of
force degradation and deformation as the open NiTi springs for
both manufacturers.
2
Materials and methods
Experimental design
To evaluate the degradation of forces and deformation of open-
closed NiTi springs when subjected to compression, comparing
them to open springs, a pilot experiment was carried out that
determined the levels of force and standardized the technique
of making the specimens, establishing the study conditions and
controlling the factors that could interfere in the analysis.
In the pilot plan, the number of specimens for each experimen-
tal condition and the number of readings for the variables under
study were determined, considering the test power of 80%
(b = 0.20) and a significance level of 5% (a = 0.05). Forty seg-
ments of NiTi springs, 15.0 mm long, were divided into 4 groups
(n = 10) according to the type of spring (open spring and open-
closed spring) and manufacturer (MorelliTM and OrthopliTM). The
response variables were deformation and degradation of forces
assessed separately for each manufacturer (MorelliTM or Ortho-
pliTM) at the beginning of the experiment (T0) and after 4 weeks
(T1). The degradation of forces was obtained with the aid of the
Universal Testing Machine (Instron 4411, Canton, USA) and the
deformation reading was performed with a digital caliper (Mitu-
toyo SC-6, Suzano, São Paulo, Brazil).
Preparation of the bodies of evidence for the
compression test
For the compression test, a perforated stainless-steel cylinder
with a thickness of 0.8 mm in diameter was used. A
0.02100  0.02500 rectangular steel wire was attached to the
force sensor (static load cell equivalent to 100 N), calibrated
according to ISO 7500-1 (Instron 4411, Canton, USA), following
adaptation of the methods proposed by Brauchli et al. (2011).
Helical springs were cut in 15.0 mm (initial length). The
25.0 mm rectangular steel wire was passively inserted into
the perforated cylinder, with the spring located between the
cylinder and the force sensor (figure 1a). After verifying the
initial force, the ends of the spring were adjusted with "stop''
and orthodontic gurin (figure 1b). It was necessary to adapt an
auxiliary gurin to the specimen, in order to make it possible to
lock the gurin with the aid of the gurin key (figure 1c).
Force degradation analysis
The readings of the degradation of the force were taken at the
beginning of the experiment (T0) and after 4 weeks (T1). The
springs were subjected to the initial compression test on the
Universal Testing Machine (Instron) at 50% of the initial size
(pre-stretch). Then, the springs were compressed at a speed of
10 mm/min until the compression of 43.3% of the initial length
of the spring (T0) (the spring was compressed from 15.0 mm to
8.5 mm) and the data were recorded in a graphic extension of
compression (mm) versus force (g), through a computer and
software installed and attached to the machine. Afterwards, the
springs were compressed with 240 gf (Instron), equivalent to
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 To cite this article: Prado T, et al. Evaluation of the force degradation and deformation of the open-closed and open springs of NiTi:
An in vitro study. International Orthodontics (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ortho.2020.05.004

Evaluation of the force degradation and deformation of the open-closed and open springs of NiTi: An in vitro study

Original Article
Figure 1
a: spring compression test on the Instron Universal Testing Machine; b: the ends of the spring were adjusted with "stop'' and
orthodontic gurin; c: locking the gurin (240 gf) with the aid of the gurin key

Figure 2
Physical characteristics of the springs such as external diameter (f; mm) and distance between helicoids (d; mm) (ImageJ)
3

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 To cite this article: Prado T, et al. Evaluation of the force degradation and deformation of the open-closed and open springs of NiTi:
An in vitro study. International Orthodontics (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ortho.2020.05.004
T. Prado, J. Guilherme Neves, L. Correr-Sobrinho, C. Carmo Menezes, G. Cherubini Venezian, A. Bortolazzo Correr, et al.
Original Article
TABLE I
Outside diameter (Ø; mm), distance between helicoids (d; mm) and lumen size (inch) of the open vs open-closed springs of the
manufacturers MorelliTM and OrthopliTM
Springs characteristics (mm)
TM
Morelli
Outside diameter (f) 1.15
Distance between helicoids (d) 0.94
00
Lumen size 1
0.030
1
Data provided by the manufacturer. Open and open-closed Morelli spring (medium force) — 200 g and 150 g of force, respectively. For Orthopli springs, 150 g of constant force
when compressed. All springs are NiTi and have 0.01000 . Note: 1inch equals 25.4 mm. 0.76 mm; 0.91 mm; 1.016 mm; and 0.89 mm refers, respectively, to the lumen size of the
Morelli open spring, Orthopli open spring, Morelli open-closed spring and Orthopli open-closed spring.
the force required to distalize the first permanent molar with the
second molar already erupted, and kept locked, immersed in
artificial saliva at 37 8C for 4 weeks (clinical simulation - time the
active spring remains in the oral cavity). The second and last
measurement was performed after 4 weeks (T1), as previously
described (compression of 43.3% of the initial length of the
spring - from 15.0 mm to 8.5 mm). The analysis of the force
degradation was performed through the force values (g) at
3 points during the extension of the compression (0.5 mm from
the initial point, 3.25 mm and 6.5 mm). The different types of
springs (open and open-closed) and manufacturers (MorelliTM
and OrthopliTM) were compared at each of the compression
extension points.
Deformation analysis
The deformation of the NiTi springs was verified with a digital
caliper (Mitutoyo SC-6, Suzano, São Paulo, Brazil) at the begin-
ning of the experiment (T0) and after 4 weeks (T1). The initial
size of each spring was equivalent to 15
0,1 mm (without any
compression force) and, after compression, equivalent to 240 gf,
which was exercised in the Universal Testing Machine (Instron),
locked and stored for 4 weeks (simulation of the time the spring
remains active in the oral cavity) in artificial saliva at 37 8C.
Deformation was calculated by subtracting the values measured
in millimetre (mm) at the beginning (T0) and after 28 days (T1).
Physical characteristics — ImageJ
A photo of each spring's type and manufacture was taken and
the value of the external diameter (mm) and distance between
the helicoids (mm) were calculated on the ImageJ (figure 2). The
lumen size (data provided by the manufactures), external diam-
eter and distance between the helicoids (data provided by
ImageJ) are described in table I.
Scanning electron microscopy and dispersive energy
spectroscopy
The springs were fixed in stubs with the aid of double-sided
carbon tape (Electron Microscopy Sciences, Washington
4
Open Open-closed
TM TM
Orthopli Morelli OrthopliTM
1.18 1.31 1.24
0.94 1.27 1.94
00 00
0.036 0.040 0.03500
19034 — USA) and analyzed in the Scanning Electron Microscope
(JSM 5600 LV; JEOL, Tokyo, Japan) at a voltage acceleration of
15 kV in the magnifications 300x by the same operator previ-
ously calibrated. X-ray spectroscopy by energy dispersion (EDS)
was also performed, identifying qualitatively and semi-quanti-
tatively the chemical composition of the springs.
Statistical analysis
After the exploratory analysis of data, two-way repeated mea-
sures Analysis of Variance was applied for each brand (MorelliTM
and OrthopliTM) and extension of compression (0.5 mm,
3.25 mm, and 6.5 mm). Student t-test with correction of Bon-
ferroni was used to compare open spring vs open-closed springs
and pairwise t-test was used to compare initial vs final period.
The level of significance was set at 95% in all tests. The most
representative images were selected to describe qualitatively
and semi-quantitatively the chemical composition of the springs
(SEM/EDS).
Results
Force degradation (gf)
The force data of the helical spring MorelliTM two-way repeated
measures Analysis of Variance showed that interaction between
factors were not statistically significant for all the compression
extensions. Spring and Time factors were significant at 0.5 mm
and 3.25 mm compression extension, while no significant effect
was observed for Spring and Time factors at 6.25 mm compres-
sion extension. The average strength values are shown in table
II.
The open spring showed force values statistically higher than the
open-closed in the 0.5 mm and 3.25 mm compression exten-
sion (P < 0.05), while no significant differences were observed
in the 6.5 mm (P > 0.05). When period of analyses was com-
pared, the force in the initial period was significantly higher that
the final period in the 0.5 mm and 3.25 mm compression exten-
sion (P < 0.05), while no significant differences were observed
in the 6.5 mm (P > 0.05).
tome xx > 000 > xx 2020
 To cite this article: Prado T, et al. Evaluation of the force degradation and deformation of the open-closed and open springs of NiTi:
An in vitro study. International Orthodontics (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ortho.2020.05.004

Evaluation of the force degradation and deformation of the open-closed and open springs of NiTi: An in vitro study

Original Article
TABLE II
Force values (gf; mean W standard deviation) of MorelliTM helical springs at 0.5 mm, 3.25 mm and 6.50 mm of compression

Spring types Compression (mm)

0.5 mm 3.25 mm 6.5 mm

Initial Final Initial Final Initial Final

Open 22.0
4.0 aA 19.8
2.6 aB 142.4
16.0 aA 126.5
17.9 aB 224.7
22.7 aA 217.2
26.1 aA

Open-closed 15.1
4.7 bA 08.9
2.6 bB 131.4
20.1 bA 105.4
9.8 bB 226.4
42.2 aA 205.4
43.9 aA

TABLE III
Force values (gf; mean W standard deviation) of OrthopliTM helical springs at 0.5 mm, 3.25 mm and 6.50 mm of compression

Spring types Compression (mm)

0.5 mm 3.25 mm 6.5 mm

Initial Final Initial Final Initial Final

Open 17.0
3.7 aB 16.6
1.6 aB 128.8
15.4 aB 118.4
3.5 aB 234.4
25.6 aB 214.1
15.1 aB

Open-closed 31.9
8.7 aA 21.6
6.6 bA 268.2
78.7 aA 194.8
22.9 bA 431.8
103.2 aA 336.4
24.3 bA

Student t-test with correction of Bonferroni was used to compare open spring vs open-closed springs and pairwise t-test was used to compare initial vs final period. Different
uppercase letters in the line and lowercase letters in the column within each compression distance, indicate a statistically significant initial or final difference (P < 0.05).

The data were recorded in a graph of extension of compression
(mm) versus force (gf). The force data of the helical spring
OrthopliTM two-way repeated measures Analysis of Variance
showed that interaction between factors was significant for
all the compression extensions. Student t-test with correction
of Bonferroni was used to compare open spring vs open-closed
springs and pairwise t-test was used to compare initial vs final
period. The level of significance was set at 95% in all tests. The
mean force values are shown in table III. For the 0.5-mm
compression, the initial force for the open-closed spring was
significantly higher than the final force (P < 0.05). As for the
open spring, no difference was observed between the initial and
TABLE IV
Deformation values (mm; mean W standard deviation) of Morel-
liTM and OrthopliTM helical springs
Spring types MorelliTM
Open 14.94
0.15 a
Open-closed 14.92
0.26 a
Different uppercase letters in the column indicate a statistically significant difference
for each helical spring manufacturer (P < 0.05).
final forces (P > 0.05). The open-closed spring showed force
values statistically higher than the open spring in the initial
and final time (P < 0.05). Similar results were observed for the
compression of 3.25 mm and 6.50 mm.
Deformation (mm)
After exploratory analysis of the deformation data of the Mor-
elliTM and OrthopliTM helical springs, the t test for each manu-
facturer was applied separately. In all analyses, the significance
level of 5% was considered. The average deformation values are
shown in table IV. No statistical difference was detected
between the open spring and the open-closed MorelliTM spring
(P = 0.378) after 4 weeks. For OrthopliTM, there was a significant
influence of the spring type (P = 0.041). The open-closed spring
showed a greater deformation (14.52
0.37) compared to the
open spring (14.85
0.19) after 4 weeks.
Scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-
OrthopliTM ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS)
14.85
0.19 a
For both spring's type (open and open-closed), the same pattern
was observed between the different commercial brands, i.e.,
14.52
0.37 b
less force generated with larger external diameter (figure 3a).
Additionally, it was confirmed through the analysis of EDS,
where it was possible to observe the same ratio between Ni
5

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 To cite this article: Prado T, et al. Evaluation of the force degradation and deformation of the open-closed and open springs of NiTi:
An in vitro study. International Orthodontics (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ortho.2020.05.004

T. Prado, J. Guilherme Neves, L. Correr-Sobrinho, C. Carmo Menezes, G. Cherubini Venezian, A. Bortolazzo Correr, et al.
Original Article

Figure 3
Scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy images: a: morphological/surface characteristics of springs (SEM);
b: dispersive energy spectroscopy graphs (SEM/EDS). 1: MorelliTM open-closed; 2: MorelliTM open; 3: Open-closed OrthopliTM; 4: Open
OrthopliTM
6

tome xx > 000 > xx 2020

 To cite this article: Prado T, et al. Evaluation of the force degradation and deformation of the open-closed and open springs of NiTi:
An in vitro study. International Orthodontics (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ortho.2020.05.004
Evaluation of the force degradation and deformation of the open-closed and open springs of NiTi: An in vitro study
and Ti for the different manufacturers and types of springs
(figure 3b).
Discussion
The hypothesis that open-closed springs would show the same
pattern of degradation of force and deformation as open NiTi
springs for both manufacturers (MorelliTM and OrthopliTM), was
rejected. Regarding the deformation of the springs, the results
of the present study showed that, between OrthopliTM springs,
the open-closed springs showed greater deformation after
compression in relation to the open spring. For the MorelliTM
springs, no significant difference in relation to deformation was
observed for both springs. The deformation of each type of
spring (open vs open-closed), after 4 weeks, varied according
to the manufacturer. Thus, it can be speculated that the behav-
iour of the springs may have been affected by the composition
and homogeneity of the NiTi alloy that constitutes them [13–20],
since the addition of copper to the alloy may alter its TMT and,
consequently, its behaviour in the generation of forces due to
temperature variations [21–23].
The present study demonstrated a distinct force degradation
profile for different types of springs and manufacturers. For the
manufacturer MorelliTM, the open springs showed statistically
greater values of force (gf) at the compression points of 0.5 mm
and 3.25 mm (corresponding to compression of 3.33% and
21.66%, respectively, of the initial length of the spring), in
relation to the open-closed springs. No difference was observed
between the initial and final force (constant force) and between
the types of springs at the 6.5 mm compression point, equiva-
lent to 43.3% of the initial spring length (from 15.0 mm to
8.5 mm). For the manufacturer OrthopliTM, the open-closed
springs showed statistically higher force values in relation to
the open springs in the initial and final time, and at the three
compression points (0.5 mm, 3.25 mm, and 6.5 mm). Features
such as lumen size (internal diameter), wire type and wire size,
are variables that determine the force produced by a helical
spring. When all characteristics are the same, the larger the
lumen and the smaller the cross section of the wire, the lighter
the force produced for the same activation [19]. Another impor-
tant physical parameter when considering the biomechanical
properties of helical springs, is the distance between the heli-
coids [24–26].
In the present study, the type of wire (NiTi), the size of the wire
(15.0 mm) and the cross section of the wire (0.1000 ), did not vary.
Therefore, in relation to physical characteristics, the biggest
difference between open springs and open-closed springs, con-
sists of the size of the lumen, external diameter and the distance
between the helicoids. The larger the size of the spring lumen,
the greater the reduction in the load generated in the same
stretch interval, that is, the less force generated [19]. The results
of the present study corroborate the findings of Miura (1988),
since the springs with greater lumen and/or external diameter,
tome xx > 000 > xx 2020
Original Article
in the open-closed MorelliTM and open OrthopliTM, exhibited less
force generated in the entire extent of compression, except
6.5 mm for the MorelliTM spring. Although the manufacturers
were not statistically compared to each other, the same pattern
was observed (less force generated versus larger external diam-
eter of the spring). This same pattern observed between the
different commercial brands, was confirmed through the analy-
sis of EDS, where it was possible to observe the same ratio
between Ni and Ti for the different manufacturers and types of
springs. A previous study observed that force delivery in helical
springs of the open-closed type can be obtained up to certain
limits and that there is a reduction in force after 4 weeks [3]. The
results of the present study partially corroborate this finding,
since no difference was observed between the initial and final
force for the open-closed MorelliTM spring in 6.5 mm of
compression.
It is important to note that external factors that influence the
oral cavity, such as food and drinks ingested and fluctuations in
temperature, can affect the force exerted by the springs [26–
28]. Barwart (1996) observed that small changes in tempera-
ture can generate significant changes in the generation of
force, that is, the force values at 37 8C were twice higher than
the temperature of 20 8C, that is, the force values increase
with increasing temperature, and decrease with reduction. On
the other hand, previous in vitro study of force degradation
and corrosion resistance of closed NiTi springs, showed that
temperature variations did not influence the force degradation
of NiTi springs [26]. In the present study, the springs were kept
in an oven at 37 8C, but the force values were evaluated at
room temperature, (approximately 23 8C) at the time of the
mechanical test, which may have interfered with the results of
this study, due to springs that are thermoactivated NiTi. Thus, it
can be speculated that the results of the present study may
have been underestimated, that is, the values of force might
have been increased with an increase in temperature from
23 to 37 8C [24]. However, the literature is quite controversial
[26].
The results of the present study showed that both MorelliTM
springs (open or open-closed) can be used to open spaces and
distalize molars as long as they are compressed in 43.3% of the
initial length (of 15.0 mm for 8.5 mm), to display a constant
force (no statistical difference between the initial and the final
force) in the range of 180–240 gf (open spring; 221.0
24.1 and
open-closed; 215.9
43.3). However, the OrthopliTM open
spring can be used, as long as it is compressed to 8.5 mm from
the initial length (15.0 mm). Although there was a statistical
degradation over time, that is, the initial force (234.4
25.6)
was greater than the final one (214.1
15.1), the force values
required for opening spaces or molar distalization are in the
range of 180-240 gf. The open-closed OrthopliTM spring, on the
other hand, could be used as long as it is compressed only in
21.66% of the initial length (from 15.0 mm to 11.75 mm).
7
 To cite this article: Prado T, et al. Evaluation of the force degradation and deformation of the open-closed and open springs of NiTi:
An in vitro study. International Orthodontics (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ortho.2020.05.004

T. Prado, J. Guilherme Neves, L. Correr-Sobrinho, C. Carmo Menezes, G. Cherubini Venezian, A. Bortolazzo Correr, et al.
Original Article

Compression up to 8.5 mm from the initial length should be Conclusions

avoided, as it would cause excess force after 4 weeks (336.4

24.3). Therefore, the professional should not trust the indi-
cated strength range without considering the amount of
compression [24], which corroborates the results of the present
study.
The current concept of ideal strength refers to a force capable of
producing maximum rate of tooth movement without tissue
damage and with maximum patient comfort [27]. Within the
limitations of this in vitro study, future studies should consider
the temperature of the oral cavity (37 8C) with greater time
intervals in the evaluation of force degradation and deformation
In general, it can be concluded that: (1) open and open-closed
springs differ in relation to force degradation and deformation;
(2) MorelliTM open springs showed greater force than the open-
closed springs and with no difference in deformation; (3) Ortho-
pliTM open-closed springs showed greater strength and defor-
mation after compression when compared to open springs; and,
(4) Orthodontist should not rely on the indicated force range
without considering the type of spring (open or open-closed),
the manufacturer, and the amount of compression of the spring.
Acknowledgments: None to declare.

of the springs, under the same conditions evaluated in the Disclosure of interest: the authors declare that they have no competing
present study [29,30]. interest.

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