Objective. The present study examined the potential use of computed tomography panoramic mandibular indices on cone beam CT (CBCT) for the assessment of bone density in postmenopausal women with low bone mass.
Study design. We enrolled 104 postmenopausal women who performed dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) using a DXA scanner and mental foramen region CBCT using NewTom VGi EVO Cone Beam 3D system. We assessed the relationship between DXA parameters: lumbar, femoral neck and total hip T score, bone mineral density (BMD), and lumbar trabecular bone score (TBS) and the panoramic mandibular indices: computed tomography mandibular index superior (CTI(S)), computed tomography mandibular index inferior (CTI(I)) and computed tomography mental index (CTMI).
Results. We found important correlations between the CTI(I), CTI(S) and CTMI and bone mass, quantitative evaluated as BMD and T-score and also quality using TBS score.
Conclusion. CBCT measured indices CTI(S), CTI(I), CTMI are useful in assessing patients with low bone mass.