The effect of different spatial resolutions and enhancement filters on radiographic detection of simulated furcation defects with intraoral digital radiography

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of spatial resolution and the application of enhancement filters in the diagnosis of simulated furcation defects and image quality with intraoral radiographs. Periapical images were acquired with photostimulable phosphor plates of molars in dry skulls (n=8) and mandibles (n=10) with 4 stages of furcation defect simulation. The plates were scanned in fast scan and high resolution modes to produce different spatial resolutions. Four image filters were applied. Six observers scored the detection of furcation defects. Mean values of area under the curve in receiver operating characteristic evaluation, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated. Mean gray value (brightness), noise, and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were calculated for enamel, dentin, and alveolar bone to evaluate image quality. Analysis of variance compared the values between the different spatial resolutions and filters. The significance of difference was established at P < .05. There were no significant differences in overall diagnostic values comparing image spatial resolutions and filters. Diagnostic outcomes were significantly better for the largest defects than the smallest lesions but were generally poor in detecting lesions. All structures showed greater brightness in high resolution. . Noise was greater in all structures with all enhancement filters except inversion. Dentin and alveolar bone exhibited more noise and lower CNR in high resolution. Varying spatial resolution and applying enhancement filters did not significantly affect the diagnosis of furcation defects.