Osteoporosis Diagnostics in Dental Radiology (Panoramic Radiograph): The Mini Osteoporosis Pre-Screening (MOPS)

Area of Science:

• Dentistry and Oral Surgery
• Radiology
• Osteoporosis Research

Background:

• Osteoporosis significantly impacts dental, oral surgery, and implantology fields.
• Panoramic radiographs (OPGs) are common in dental practice, offering potential for opportunistic osteoporosis pre-screening.
• Established radiomorphometric indices and a novel qualitative index (MOPS) were evaluated on OPGs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate established radiomorphometric indices on OPGs for osteoporosis detection.
• To introduce and assess the diagnostic accuracy of the Mini Osteoporosis Pre-Screening (MOPS) index.
• To determine the utility of OPGs for opportunistic osteoporosis pre-screening in dental settings.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 40 patient datasets with OPG and DXA scans (reference standard).
• Assessment of 80 OPG scans from a control group of young adults.
• Evaluation of four indices: MCW, PMI, MCI, and MOPS by two independent examiners.

Main Results:

• MOPS index demonstrated diagnostic accuracy of 83%–100%, particularly high in women (90%–100%).
• MOPS showed high sensitivity (1.0) and specificity (0.9) in women.
• MOPS and MCI were more robust than MCW; PMI had limited applicability.

Conclusions:

• Panoramic radiographs can reveal osteoporosis-related changes in the mandible and cervical spine.
• The MOPS index provides a rapid, cost-neutral pre-screening tool for dentists.
• MOPS may aid in identifying patients who require referral for DXA scans, pending larger studies.