Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of bony structures based on DICOM dataset

Area of Science:

• Dental imaging
• Biomedical engineering
• Radiology

Background:

• Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is increasingly used in dentistry for bone imaging.
• Assessing bone quantity and quality is crucial for dental implantology and reconstructive surgery.
• Different CBCT devices may yield varying results, necessitating comparative studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate bone mass using different CBCT devices (ProMax 3D and ILUMA™CT).
• To determine if CBCT can assess bone quantity versus bone quality.
• To compare CBCT findings with computed tomography (CT) and established classification systems.

Main Methods:

• Measurements were taken from pig mandible bones using ProMax 3D and ILUMA™CT to create calibration curves.
• 3D visualization software assessed spatial relationships of mandible halves.
• Bone quality was evaluated using the Lenkholm and Zarb classification system.

Main Results:

• CBCT calibration curves showed linear correlation between the two devices.
• Significant Hounsfield unit differences were observed between the CBCTs, with no correlation to CT.
• Micromorphology details were not obtainable via CBCT; subjective bone quality assessment showed overlapping results across groups.

Conclusions:

• CBCT is suitable for bone mass analysis but lacks the resolution for bone quality assessment.
• Information on spongiosa microarchitecture requires advanced techniques like computed tomography with finite element analysis.
• Further research is needed to correlate CBCT findings with detailed bone microarchitecture.