Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of the bone density value of potential implant sites in HU obtained by a specific cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) device. In this study, the HU values obtained using a MSCT scanner were used as the gold standard. Twenty mandibles (40 potential implant sites) were scanned using an MSCT scanner (Somatom Sensation 40) and a CBCT scanner (i-CAT). The MSCT images were evaluated using the Syngo CT Workplace software and the CBCT images, using the XoranCat software. The images were evaluated twice by three oral radiologists, at 60 day intervals. The trabecular bone density of the same area was evaluated on both images. Intraclass coefficients (ICC) were calculated to examine the agreement between the examiners and between the two periods of evaluation. The bone density and area of the ROI were compared by the Student t test and Bland-Altman analysis. ICCs were excellent. The mean HU value obtained using CBCT (418.06) was higher than that obtained using MSCT (313.13), with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.0001). In addition, Bland-Altman analysis showed that the HU measures were not equivalent. In conclusion, the bone density in HU with CBCT images obtained using the device studied proved unreliable, since it was higher than that obtained using MSCT.
Highlights
The quantity and the quality of available bone influence the clinical success of dental implants
Given the importance of the subject, the lack of consensus of other studies and the lack of studies on the i-CAT scanner, the aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of the bone density value of potential implant sites in Hounsfield units (HU) obtained by a specific cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) device
The HU value obtained using CBCT was higher than that obtained using multislice CT (MSCT), with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.0001)
Summary
The quantity and the quality (density) of available bone influence the clinical success of dental implants. Computed tomography (CT) is an established method for acquiring bone images before performing dental implant surgery. It allows precise three-dimensional evaluation of anatomic structures and direct measurement of bone density, expressed in Hounsfield units (HU),[1] characteristics that provide important information about the bone. HU represent the relative density of body tissues according to a calibrated gray-level scale, based on values for air (−1000 HU), water (0 HU), and bone density (+1000 HU).[2] Many studies have evaluated the use of HU to assess the relative bone density of the jaws in CT, and HU seem to be a useful method to analyze bone density, despite the high ra-
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