In vitro comparison of the torsional load transfer of various commercially available stainless-steel wires used for fixed retainers in orthodontics

Abstract

The effective torsional load transfer depends on the dimension, shape and type of a wire. Plain and braided retainers were more predictable in torsional load transfer than multistranded retainers, which may have stored more energy in the area between the composite bonding sites. This may explain the unexpected complications reported in multistranded retainers.