Introduction and Objetive: Anchorage management is essential for successful fi xed orthodontic treatment; however there is no consensus about the effectiveness of skeletal anchorage for anterior teeth retraction. The aim of this review was to evaluate the effectiveness of skeletal anchorage for space closure in the maxillary arch. Materials and Methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed in PubMed, Cochrane, Lilacs, Scielo databases. Controlled clinical trials were included, where skeletal anchorage was used for space closure. Three reviewers examined the