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[Accuracy analysis of cone beam computed tomography in assessing furcation involvements of mandibular molars]
1First Clinical Division, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100034, China.
Objective:
To evaluate the accuracy of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in assessing furcation involvements of mandibular molars.
Methods:
In the study, 38 furcation involvements of 22 mandibular molars which would accept furcation surgery were included. Pre-surgical examination, CBCT and periapical radiograph were performed. Then, intra-surgical furcation assessments were compared with those data.
Results:
Intra-surgical findings confirmed 86.8% of the CBCT data, with a weighed kappa of 0.976. Of the four parameters tested of detailed root anatomy and furcation morphology, the vertical bone loss, the mesial-distal bone loss and the length of the root trunk revealed by CBCT were consistent with their respective intra-surgical values (P>0.05): about vertical bone loss, CBCT was (4.03±2.27) mm, but in surgery was (4.32±2.31) mm; about mesial-distal bone loss, CBCT was (2.05±0.89) mm, but in surgery was (2.07±0.97) mm; about length of the root trunk, CBCT was (2.35±0.88) mm, but in surgery was (2.24± 0.75) mm. The horizontal bone loss revealed by CBCT [(3.40±1.27) mm] was significantly smaller than that by surgery [(3.72±1.19) mm]. However, the mean difference was only 0.32 mm. Periapical radiograph could only obtain vertical bone loss [(2.17±1.32) mm] and mesial-distal bone loss [(1.46± 0.88) mm], which was significantly different from that obtained in surgery.
Conclusion:
CBCT proved high accuracy in assessing the furcation involvement of mandibular molars.
