Morphometric analysis of mandibular trabecular bone using cone beam computed tomography: an in vitro study

Area of Science:

• Dental Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering
• Radiology

Background:

• Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is utilized for dental implant presurgical imaging.
• CBCT values are relative, unlike absolute Hounsfield units from medical CT.
• Evaluating trabecular bone morphometry from CBCT requires comparison with established CT metrics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the relationship between trabecular bone morphometry in CBCT images and CT values.
• To determine if CBCT-derived bone morphometry is a reliable indicator of mandibular bone density for dental implant planning.

Main Methods:

• Small-volume CBCT and multislice CT scans of the posterior mandible were acquired.
• Three-dimensional bone morphometry software analyzed trabecular bone in CBCT images.
• Correlation analysis was performed between CBCT-derived bone volume per total tissue volume (BV/TV) and multislice CT values.

Main Results:

• Trabecular bone volume per total tissue volume (BV/TV) in CBCT ranged from 3.1% to 42.7% (mean 20.4%).
• Correlations between BV/TV and threshold values ranged from 0.3 to 0.7.
• CT values demonstrated a high correlation with CBCT-derived BV/TV, ranging from 0.83 to 0.93.

Conclusions:

• Trabecular bone volume per total tissue volume (BV/TV) derived from CBCT is highly correlated with multislice CT values.
• CBCT-derived BV/TV can reliably evaluate mandibular cancellous bone density.
• This finding supports the use of CBCT for assessing bone density in dental implant treatment planning.