Panoramic radiography for screening postmenopausal osteoporosis in India: a pilot study
Pankaj R Bodade1, Rajendra N Mody
1Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Vidarbha Youth Welfare Society's Dental College and Hospital, Amravati, Maharashtra, India.
Oral Health and Dental Management
|June 13, 2013
Summary
Dental practitioners can use the mandibular cortical index from panoramic radiographs to screen postmenopausal women for osteoporosis risk. This qualitative index shows excellent reproducibility for identifying patients with bone loss.
Area of Science:
- Dentistry
- Radiology
- Osteoporosis Research
Background:
- Osteoporosis significantly increases fracture risk in postmenopausal women.
- Early detection of osteoporosis is crucial for timely intervention.
- Panoramic radiographs are common dental imaging tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the role of dental practitioners in identifying osteoporosis risk using panoramic radiographs.
- To assess the utility of radiomorphometric indices for osteoporosis screening.
Main Methods:
- 32 postmenopausal women underwent panoramic radiography and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for bone mineral density (BMD) measurement.
- Qualitative (mandibular cortical index - MCI) and quantitative radiomorphometric indices were determined.
- Statistical analysis correlated radiographic indices with BMD and WHO osteoporosis criteria.
Main Results:
- A significant positive correlation was found between mandibular and lumbar BMD.
- The mandibular cortical index (MCI) showed a significant association with osteoporosis.
- Quantitative indices correlated well with BMD but had poor reproducibility; MCI demonstrated excellent reproducibility.
Conclusions:
- The mandibular cortical index (MCI) is a reliable qualitative tool for screening postmenopausal women for osteoporosis.
- Quantitative indices lack reproducibility, limiting their clinical utility.
- Larger studies are required to validate these findings.
