Assessing Osteoporosis Risk on Panoramic Radiography through Fractal Dimension Analysis of Mandibular Condyles in...

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Radiology
• Osteoporosis Research

Background:

• Osteoporosis significantly impacts postmenopausal women, leading to increased fracture risk.
• Accurate assessment of bone mineral density (BMD) is crucial for managing osteoporosis.
• Trabecular bone structure changes are indicative of bone health and osteoporosis progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze trabecular bone structure in the condylar bone using fractal dimension (FD) analysis on panoramic radiography.
• To correlate FD values with BMD to assess osteoporosis risk in postmenopausal women.
• To evaluate FD analysis as a potential tool for early osteoporosis detection.

Main Methods:

• 150 panoramic radiographs from postmenopausal women (≥50 years) with normal, osteopenia, or osteoporosis BMD were analyzed.
• Fractal dimension (FD) analysis was performed on the mandibular condylar bone using the box-counting method in ImageJ software.
• Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between FD and BMD values.

Main Results:

• A significant positive correlation was found between FD and BMD values (p < 0.001).
• Moderate correlation strengths were observed (r = 0.462 for ROI 1, r = 0.518 for ROI 2).
• Higher BMD values corresponded to higher FD values, indicating better trabecular bone density.

Conclusions:

• FD analysis of mandibular condyles is a viable indicator for assessing osteoporosis risk.
• FD analysis quantifies trabecular bone structural changes, complementing BMD measurements.
• This method offers a promising approach for the early detection of osteoporosis.