Investigating the effectiveness of MAR algorithm on magnitude of artifacts in CBCT images: a systematic review

There has been an increasing interest in the use of implants to treat edentulous patients. In this regard, the use of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) offers a variety of advantages compared with other imaging methods. However, the creation of beam-hardening artifacts adversely affects the quality of images. To our knowledge, little is known about the actual effectiveness of the Metal Artifact Reduction (MAR) algorithm on image quality improvement.

The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review to investigate the effectiveness of the MAR algorithm on the magnitude of artifacts generated in CBCT images.

An electronic search was performed in electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. For each database, the search strategy was defined specifically. Studies that had the inclusion criteria for this review were imported into Endnote version 20. The risk of bias in the studies included in this systematic review was assessed by two independent reviewers based on the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI)'s Critical Appraisal checklist. The selected final articles were scored based on the specified checklist. After reviewing selected articles, it was not possible to perform a meta-analysis due to the heterogeneity and multiplicity of the variables, and the studies were included in the systematic review.

A total of 4738 studies were identified. After eliminating duplicate and unrelated articles, 10 articles met the inclusion criteria. Results showed that the use of the MAR algorithm in the preparation of CBCT scans reduces the standard deviation (SD) of gray values. However, no definite result was achieved in relation to the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). In fact, it cannot be definitively concluded whether the use of the MAR algorithm will increase the CNR.

The results of this systematic review demonstrated that we cannot provide a definite answer regarding the effect of the MAR algorithm on reducing the artifacts around dental implants. The explanation is that this factor is affected by many variables, whose change can have a significant effect on the magnitude of artifacts generated in the image.