Detection of osteoporosis using orthopantomography: An analytical study

Abstract

:Background: Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by low bone mass and micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue. Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) is considered to be the "gold standard" in diagnosing osteoporosis. However, because of the cost and limited availability, these are less suitable for large-scale screening. Osteoporosis has several manifestations in the jaw bone which can be identified by dentists on panoramic radiographs by measuring various mandibular morphometric indices. This study aims at assessing the reliability of radio morphometric indices of panoramic radiographs namely Mental Index (MI), Antegonial Index (AI), Gonial Index (GI), Panoramic Mandibular Index (PMI), and Mandibular Cortical Index (MCI) in diagnosing osteoporosis by measuring mandibular cortical width. Materials and Methods: Patients who were advised for panoramic radiographs after a thorough clinical examination were enrolled in this study. A total of 56 patients (28 male and 28 female) aged between 30 and 75 years are the participants. Panoramic radiographs were taken in a standardized position and all the indices were measured using Romexis 2.1.1.R software. Results: This study was statistically significant for Mandibular cortical index (MCI) with p<0.05. Mental index with (P=0.3), Antegonial index (P=0.4), Gonial Index (P=0.8), and Panoramic mandibular index (P=0.5) were statistically insignificant. Conclusion: Our study results indicate that among the 5 indices, MCI is the reliable index in the detection of osteoporosis.