Cone Beam Computed Tomography Panoramic Mandibular Indices in the Screening of Postmenopausal Women with Low Bone Mass: Correlations with Bone Quantity and Quality.

Objective: This study examined the potential use of computed tomography panoramic mandibular indices on cone beam CT (CBCT) for assessing bone density in postmenopausal women with low bone mass.

Study design: The study enrolled 104 postmenopausal women who underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) using a DXA scanner and mental foramen region CBCT alongside the NewTom VGi EVO Cone Beam 3D system. We assessed the relationship between the following DXA parameters: lumbar, femoral neck, and total hip T score, bone mineral density (BMD), and lumbar trabecular bone score (TBS). The following panoramic mandibular indices were also considered: the computed tomography mandibular index superior (CTI(S)), computed tomography mandibular index inferior (CTI(I)), and computed tomography mental index (CTMI).

Results: The study revealed moderate correlations between CBCT indices and BMD/TBS scores: CTMI showed the highest correlation with the femoral neck T-score (r = 0.551, p < 0.0001). TBS scores were also moderately correlated with CBCT indices: CTMI showed a moderate positive correlation with TBS (r = 0.431, p < 0.0001); CTI(S) had a similar moderate positive correlation with TBS (r = 0.421, p < 0.0001). AUC values ranged from 0.697 to 0.733 for osteoporosis versus the osteopenia/normal group and from 0.734 to 0.744 for low versus normal bone quality groups, p < 0.0001. The comparison of the values of the studied indices between low versus normal bone quality (quantified with TBS) groups showed high sensitivity but low specificity.

Conclusions: CBCT-measured indices CTI(S), CTI(I), and CTMI are useful in assessing patients with low bone mass to improve, by specific treatment, the prognosis of dental implants.