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. 2025 Nov 17;6:1681304. doi: 10.3389/froh.2025.1681304

Table 4.

Description of the results of the studies included in the systematic review demonstrating tissue and biochemical changes during orthodontic retention.

Author, year Type of study Outcome measure Site of expression &/or method of assessment Results
Reitan (30) Review Principle fibers of the periodontium especially supraalveolar fibers In different areas of the root based on the type of tooth movement After derotations, principle fibers returned to original positions in a few days; supraalveolar fibers took approximately 232 days
Murell et al. (31) Animal Number of blood vessels Periodontal ligament 12–50 micron diameter: Numbers around middle third of root increased and peaked in 3 days and declined over the next 2 weeks 51–200 micron diameter: Numbers around the cervical third of root decreased in the first two days and increased the next two days after which returned to baseline levels
King et al. (21) Animal Histological: osteoclast numbers per millimeter of bone surface, osteoclast surface percentage, osteoblast surface percentage, mineralizing surface percentage, mineral apposition rate, bone formation rate, and percentage of resorbed root surface First molar sections for histomorphometry and sera and aparadental alveolar bone for the biochemical assay Histological: Mesial end of molar—osteoclast number and surface % elevated 3.5 to 4 times on day 1 and returned to baseline by day 5. Distal end of molar—No time- related treatment effects on osteoclast number and surface %
Biochemical: Bone phosphatases (acid phosphatase, TRAP, alkaline phosphatase), bone remodeling parameters (osteoblast and osteoclast percentage) Biochemical: Significant elevations in acid phosphatase and TRAP in the treated tissues at days 5, 7, and 10. No time- or treatment-related differences in serum alkaline phosphatase activities
Franzen et al. (20) Animal Bone architecture: Bone mineral density, percent bone volume, bone surface density, total porosity. Micro ct of alveolar bone RTPCR to evaluate bone formation markers runx2, COL1A1, ALP, OCN and bone resorption markers H + -ATPase, TRAP and RANKL Relapse upto 93% by 21 days
 1st day—73% relapse (rate of 140 microns/day
2nd to 21st day—93% relapse (Rate almost negligible)
Microct evaluation: Tissue mineral density decreased During OTM and returned to baseline levels 3 days after removal Biomarkers—ALP, OCN, COL1A1, Runx2—No significant correlation with relapse
RANKL—Decrease after appliance removal till baseline by 21 days
TRAP—Insignificantly increased till 7 days after appliance removal then returned to baseline levels by 21 days
Perinetti et al. (33) Human Periodontal health: Supragingival plaque, bleeding on probing, pocket depth Gingival Crevicular fluid Periodontal Health: Plaque & bleding on probing: No significant differences between test teeth (TT) (maxillary first molar) and mandibular first molar (CT) (control teeth) at T1 (3months) and T2 (6 months) post expansion
Alkaline phosphatase Pocket depth: Significant differences between TT & CT at T1 and T2
Alkaline phosphatase: Significant increase at the TT site Significant increase at T1 & T2 at the TT site
Burke (32) Human Total secretory proteins and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (c- AMP)—dependant protein kinase subunit (RII) Saliva and Gingival Crevicular fluid; Electrophoresis and Western blotting Electrophoresis: Total protein concentration—No significant increase in GCF and saliva (Increased in some and decreased in other patients)
Western blotting: c-AMP dependant protein kinase subunit (RII)—No significant increase in GCF and saliva (Increased in some and decreased in other patients) 50-to-55 kd bands, characteristic of RII, disappeared, while a fragment in the 20 to 30-kd range increased considerably after separator placement
Awag- Kechik et al, (22) Human Protein profile Saliva; Liquid Chromatography‒Mass Spectrometry (LC‒ MS) Little's Irregularity index: Significant difference in irregularity in mandibular arch 6 months into retention phase Protein profile: Active phase—146 proteins Retentive phase—135 proteins 15 proteins expressed in both active and retentive phase 1 protein (tyrosine protein kinase) expressed only in retentive phase