Visualization features of canalis sinuosus with cone beam computed tomography

Area of Science:

• Dental Implantology
• Radiology
• Anatomy

Background:

• Accurate assessment of anatomical structures like the canalis sinuosus (CS) is crucial for dental implant placement.
• Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is a key imaging modality, but its visualization capabilities are influenced by parameters like slice thickness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of the canalis sinuosus (CS) using CBCT.
• To analyze the relationship between CS prevalence, slice thickness, and CS diameter.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 100 CBCT scans (39 males, 61 females, aged 46-81).
• Evaluation of the terminal alveolar part of the CS using varying slice thicknesses (0.5, 1, 3, and 10 mm).
• Statistical comparison of prevalence across different slice thicknesses, ages, and genders.

Main Results:

• A CS prevalence of 55.5% was observed.
• No significant differences in CS presence were found between age and gender groups.
• The best visualization of CS was achieved with 0.5 mm and 1 mm slice thicknesses.
• CS prevalence significantly decreased with thicker slices (10 mm vs. 3 mm).

Conclusions:

• CBCT imaging demonstrates that thinner slices (0.5/1 mm) yield the highest canalis sinuosus (CS) prevalence detection.
• Improved visualization of CS is associated with larger diameters.
• Slice thickness is a critical factor influencing CS detection in CBCT analysis.