ABSTRACT

Objective:

To compare the trabecular pattern in otherwise healthy osteoporotic and control patients.

Methods:

The study population included 25 osteoporotic patients with no other systemic disease and systemically healthy 25 control patients. Periapical radiographs were made and the radiographs were digitized with a flatbed scanner. Regions of interests of approximately 1 cm2 were selected in anterior and posterior maxilla and mandible. Using NIH Image software 1.61 (NIH) a custom computer program was written and the regions of interest were processed and analyzed, as described in the literature. Statistical analysis was made using the t-test (significance was defined as p£0.05).

Results:

When compared to controls, there is a reduction in the area of trabeculae and length of the periphery of the trabecular bone, and an increase in the area of bone marrow in all quadrants, although the results were not statistically significant in anterior mandible.

Conclusion:

The results of this study supports the hypothesis that anterior maxilla is the most definitive region in reflecting osteoporotic changes, and shows that the morphologic features of the trabecular bone of the maxilla and mandible are different in otherwise healthy osteoporotic and control groups of women.