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Assessments of trabecular bone density at implant sites on CT images Rubelisa Cândido Gomes de Oliveira, DDS,a Cláudio Rodrigues Leles, DDS, MS, PhD,b Leonardo Martins Normanha, MD,c Christina Lindh, DDS, Odont dr,d and Rejane Faria Ribeiro-Rotta, DDS, MS, PhD,e Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil and Malmö, Sweden FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF GOIÁS, GOIANO INSTITUTE OF RADIOLOGY AND MALMÖ UNIVERSITY Objectives. To evaluate the association between trabecular bone density measurements of potential implant sites made on axial DICOM images (DentaCT software) and on the same images with eFilm workstation, to correlate bone densities in Hounsfield units (HU) with subjective classification, and to establish a quantitative scale for each bone quality class. Study design. Twenty-seven maxillary and 27 mandibular computed tomographic (CT) examinations of 75 potential implant sites were selected. Trabecular bone density was evaluated with DentaCT and eFilm. Bone quality was subjectively evaluated by 2 examiners. Descriptive statistics, between- and within-group comparison, correlation analysis, and Bland-Altman plot were used for data analysis. Results. DentaCT measurements were higher than eFilm (P � .001). Bone type 2 was the most prevalent, and bone density was significantly reduced from bone types 1 to 4. Quantitative parameters ranged as follows: bone type 4 �200 HU, bone types 2 and 3 �200 to �400 HU, and bone type 1 �400 HU. Conclusion. Different qualities of bone can be found in any of the anatomical regions studied (anterior and posterior sites of maxilla and mandible), which confirms the importance of a site-specific bone tissue evaluation prior to implant installation. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2008;105:231-8) Two oft-mentioned factors that are considered important in the consolidation of the bone-implant interface and that can influence surgical technique, healing time, and pro- gressive loading during prosthodontic rehabilitation are bone quality and bone quantity.1-6 The term bone quan- tity is most often understood as the amount of bone (e.g., height and width of the alveolar crest) available for implant installation, whereas bone quality is a far more comprehensive term with no clear definition, encompassing several aspects of bone physiology, degree of mineralization, and structural properties (architecture, morphology).7-9 The importance of each aspect in implant treatment is still not fully understood.2,9,10 aGraduate Student, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil. bAssociate Professor, Department of Oral Rehabilitation, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil. cMedical Radiologist, Director, Goiano Institute of Radiology, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil. dAssociate Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiol- ogy, Faculty of Odontology, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden. eAssociate Professor, Department of Oral Medicine, School of Den- tistry, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil. Received for publication Dec 16, 2006; returned for revision Jul 13, 2007; accepted for publication Aug 10, 2007. 1079-2104/$ - see front matter © 2008 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.tripleo.2007.08.007 Numerous studies report implant treatment outcome by using the classification of bone quality proposed by Lek- holm and Zarb,11 which is mainly based on the subjective feeling of the surgeon during drilling. Other approaches used to assess bone tissue before and during implant treatment have been conventional radiography,12,13 inser- tion torque resistance,14-16 dual energy x-ray absorptiom- etry,17,18 digital image analysis,19 ultrasound,20 and com- puted tomography (CT).6,7,8,21 Most of these methods assess bone density quantitatively, but some are imprac- tical for the clinician and others are too invasive for routine clinical use. Recently, efforts in the oral imaging field have focused on developing instruments that accurately and automati- cally measure bone density by measurements of x-ray absorption. The use of CT has continued to grow, al- though systematic use in clinical practice has been limited by concerns about high radiation doses and relatively high cost.22,23 Such risk can be reduced considerably by low- ering the dose output of the scanner,24 and the diagnostic benefits of CT seem to outweigh the lower risks associ- ated with modern improved scanners that produce low doses of radiation. Cone-beam CT appears to be the medium of the future, thus, many changes will be made to improve this dental imaging method.25 Norton and Gamble21 used interactive software spe- cially designed for the maxilla and mandible to describe an objective scale of bone density based on mean 231 OOOOE 232 de Oliveira et al. February 2008 Hounsfield unit (HU) values determined in CT examina- tions. This scale may help clinicians classify bone tissue before implant treatment and is based on the densities of trabecular, and when present, cortical bone, but the au- thors gave no detailed description of the quantitative relationship between bone density and bone quality. Bone density measurements like those suggested by Norton and Gamble21 are restricted to clinicians who have access to the particular CT software, which is usually costly and generally has limited applicability. Nowadays, digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) images can be displayed not only on workstations but also on personal computers (PCs) with little monetary investment. Personal computer software allows clinicians to use image processing tools (e.g., to determine bone density and reformat images for greater clarity) from their own offices.21,26 No study has shown whether bone density measurements made on electroni- cally transferred images differ significantly from those made on original DICOM images. The aims of this study were therefore to (1) correlate the mean densities of trabecular bone measured with 2 software applications, eFilm and DentaCT, at potential implant sites on the anterior and posterior maxilla and mandible, (2) correlate these measurements with bone quality classifications made according to Lekholm and Zarb,11 and (3) establish a quantitative scale for each bone quality classification. MATERIAL AND METHODS Selection of CT examinations and potential implant sites Images from 27 maxillary and 27 mandibular CT examinations of 51 patients (31 women, 20 men) were chosen. The patients had been referred to the Instituto Goiano Institute of Radiology/José Nor- manha Foundation, Goiânia, Brazil, between 1999 and 2004 for radiographic examination as part of implant treatment planning. Scans were made ac- cording to the following technical protocol: Elscint Twin II helical scanner (Elscint, Haifa, Israel), 120 to 140 kV, 200 to 400 mAs, 250-mm field of view, dual 1-mm-thick slices, 1-mm increments, ultrahigh resolution, 512 � 512 matrix, 1.5 zoom, filter D, 0° gantry angulation. The patients were either fully or partially edentate, and selection criteria included edentulous areas with the po- tential for implant placement and an alveolar thickness sufficient to support a region of interest (ROI) of at least 0.1 cm2 in trabecular bone. In the 54 CT examinations, 75 potential implants sites were identified. The local ethics committee of the Hospital das Clínicas/School Hospital/ Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil, approved the study protocol. Measurements of bone density with eFilm workstation Three sequential axial images (1-mm thickness, origi- nal magnification �1.5) of each of the 75 potential im- plant sites were selected (N � 225) using eFilm (eFilm, version 1.5.3, Merge Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI) soft- ware application in an IBM-compatible PC. The operator determined the center of the ROI in all sites. The spatial coordinate tool (x, y) was manually set to define a circular or oval ROI at the same anatomic location on each of the 3 axial images. The y-coordinate, which could vary ver- tically,was held constant, and the x-coordinate, which could vary horizontally, was adjusted according to the anatomic morphology of the arch and placed at the center of the trabecular bone in each axial image (Fig. 1). The distance between the most posterior part of the dental arch and the ROI in trabecular bone (Fig. 2) was established in the central axial image. This distance was used as a reference to determine the anatomic position of the ROI when the DentaCT software application (DentaCT, ver- sion 3.000, Picker International Inc., Cleveland, OH) was used, since DentaCT does not have a coordinate tool. The ROI was defined from the point of interest and bone density was automatically displayed using an elliptical measurement tool. The examiner measured the bone density of each ROI 3 times on each of the 3 axial images. The mean was calculated from the 9 measurements made for each potential implant site. DentaCT bone density measurements The distance between the most posterior part of the dental arch and the point of interest for each potential implant site was reproduced in the central axial image of each selected site. The ROI was defined from a point of interest, and bone density was automatically displayed using DentaCT in a Silicon Graphics Workstation (SGI Company, Mountain View, CA). Bone density values in 2 other axial images (coronally and apically to the central image) were obtained automatically by dragging the scrollbar to select the images. Mean densities and standard deviations in HU and the circumferential area of the ROI (mm2) in trabecular bone were automatically calculated by the software (Fig. 3). The same examiner made all measurements of bone density and calculated the mean in the same way as described for the eFilm workstation. Classification of bone quality Axial images were reformatted with DentaCT (n � 75) into transversal sectional images to produce a buc- cal-lingual view of each potential implant site. The bone windows of the transversal views were printed on 25.7 � 36.4-cm radiographic film (Fujifilm, Fuji Photo axial i OOOOE Volume 105, Number 2 de Oliveira et al. 233 Film Co., Tokyo, Japan). A black mask was affixed to the films to restrict viewing on the light box to the ROI. Two trained and calibrated independent examiners (an oral maxillofacial radiologist and an implant specialist) classified the bone tissue imaged in the transversal sec- tions according to the bone quality classifications pro- posed by Lekholm and Zarb.11 Each examiner assessed the bone tissue twice to ensure intraexaminer reliability. Fig. 1. A-C, Sequential axial images of the mandible. The ce sites by using the spatial coordinate tool (x, y). The y-coordin the x-coordinate, which could vary horizontally (x � 168, 154 arch and placed at the center of the trabecular bone in each The subjective classification of the bone tissue was the classification with the highest agreement in the 4 evalua- tions. When the examiners disagreed, the final decision was determined by consensus. Statistical analysis Descriptive statistics included means, standard devi- ations, and confidence intervals. Between-group com- parisons of trabecular bone density in the ROI were the region of interest was determined at all potential implant hich could vary vertically, was held constant (y � 136), and , was adjusted according to the anatomical morphology of the mage. nter of ate, w , 152) made with the paired Student t test. Within-group com- OOOOE 234 de Oliveira et al. February 2008 parisons of trabecular bone density measurements of 4 anatomic jaw regions were made for each software by using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Pearson’s correlation co- efficient (r) and Spearman’s correlation coefficient (rs) were used to measure correlations between variables. Bland-Altman plot was used to assess how much the difference between eFilm and DentaCT differ system- atically from zero (bias) and how much the difference varies (error).27 Statistical significance was set at P � .05 and MedCalc software (version 9.3.8.0; Mari- akerke, Belgium) and SPSS 10.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) were used for data analyses. RESULTS The distribution of the 225 axial images was as follows: 6 anterior maxillary (AMx) sites (18 axial images), 6 anterior mandibular (AMd) sites (18 axial images), 29 posterior maxillary (PMx) sites (87 axial images), and 34 posterior mandibular (PMd) sites (102 axial images). Table I lists the bone densities of 75 potential man- dibular and maxillary implant sites. The mean densities determined in both software applications were greater in the anterior mandible, followed by the anterior max- illa, the posterior mandible, and the posterior maxilla, but wide ranges of bone density were observed for all ana- tomic regions, that is, high and low bone density values were found in all anatomic regions. The Kruskall-Wallis test showed no significant differences among anatomic Fig. 2. Axial image of the mandible. The distance between the most posterior part of the dental arch and the point of interest was determined in the central axial image. regions for either software. DentaCT measurements of trabecular bone density were significantly higher than eFilm measurements (t � 4.50; P � .001). Mean differences were 41.3 HU, 70.9 HU, 11.5 HU, and 15.1 HU for AMd, AMx, PMd, and PMx, respectively. Measurements with each software were highly correlated (r � 0.95; P � .001). According to the Bland-Altman plot analysis (Fig. 4), eFilm ap- peared to consistently underestimate bone density com- pared with DentaCT; 95% of the differences in the readings between eFilm and DentaCT (�1.96 SD) lie between 60.1 and �102.2 (mean � �21.0). Interexaminer and intraexaminer agreement ranged from 44% to 69% for subjective evaluation of bone quality, and Spearman correlation coefficient ranged from 0.50 to 0.71 (P � .01). According to the subjective evaluation (Table II), bone type 2 was most prevalent (49.3%), of the 4 anatomical regions, was most frequently observed in AMd (4:6), AMx (4:6), and PMd (21:34). Bone type 1 occurred in only 3 potential implant sites (4%). Table III presents trabecular bone density values in each category of bone quality as determined with DentaCT and eFilm according to the classification of Lekholm and Zarb.11 Bone density was significantly reduced from bone type 1 to bone type 4 (P � .001). Reference parameters for predicting bone quality from known values of trabecular bone density are defined in Table III by using 95% confidence intervals for each bone type. Actual values were rounded off for clinical purposes (Table IV). DISCUSSION DentaCT is a well-known software application used to reformat images of the maxilla and mandible that are pro- duced according to digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) standards. The PC-compatible software eFilm can read, receive, and send DICOM images, allowing the clinician to evaluate, in his own office, bone density and other bone tissue parameters on sectional images. This software creates a database that can be used in patient- clinician communication and in the development of a variety of files, such as teaching files. Trabecular bone density is an important factor for achieving good osseointegration because it may be re- sponsible for the biologic response, and to a certain extent, the mechanical support of an implant. Regeneration and remodeling of bone at the implant-tissue interface (sec- ondary stability) can be determined by trabecular bone density.15,28,29 In this study, original axial images were used to define an ROI in the trabecular bone fraction of the receptor site. Comparison across studies that measured HU bone density is difficult due to differences in methodological approaches. The use of different softwares,6,7,8,21,30,31 the ned au OOOOE Volume 105, Number 2 de Oliveira et al. 235 inclusion of cortical bone in the ROI,6,21,31 and the use of reformatted images to assess bone density6,7,8,21,30-32 are important factors thatlimit inferences about other studies. The definition of the ROI was also different from Taguchi et al.,26 in which an ROI greater than 1 cm2 in quantitative computed tomography presented higher precision for bone density measurements. Nevertheless, the softwares used in our study do not allow manually outlining of an ROI. Consequently, obtaining a 1-cm2 area restricted to Fig. 3. A, Reproduction of the distance between the most po axial image. B, The region of interest in trabecular bone wa automatically displayed using DentaCT software (Mean [A densities in the coronal (C) and apical (D) views were obtai Table I. Trabecular bone densities of potential implan software applications Software Region No. Minimum (HU) Maximu eFilm AMd 6 61 716 AMx 6 71 601 PMd 34 72 1010 PMx 29 �58 560 DentaCT AMd 6 100.50 782 AMx 6 95.96 568 PMd 34 88.07 999 PMx 29 �41.06 589 HU, Hounsfield units; CI, confidence interval; AMd, anterior mandib *Kruskall-Wallis test. the trabecular bone is very difficult to achieve in a narrow bone with anatomical heterogeneity, as commonly ob- served in the jaws. Strong correlation was found between DentaCT and eFilm bone densities (r � 0.95), but Bland-Altman anal- ysis showed that the scatter of the differences increases as the bone density increases (i.e., the variation depends on the magnitude of the differences). It was considered that differences within mean �1.96 SD are clinically impor- tant, and the 2 softwares may not be used interchangeably part of the dental arch and the point of interest in the central ed from a point of interest, and trabecular bone density was 81.40 HU; SD � 226.50; Area [Ar] � 0.115 cm2). Bone tomatically by dragging the scrollbar to select the images. determined with the eFilm and DentaCT Mean (HU) SD 95% CI P value* 341.83 233.06 97.24-586.41 .674 287.33 181.26 97.10-477.55 294.85 191.92 227.88-361.81 240.44 177.79 172.81-308.07 383.22 243.33 127.85-638.58 .344 370.38 176.71 184.93-555.83 306.30 187.15 241.00-371.60 255.52 184.01 185.53-325.52 , anterior maxilla; PMd, posterior mandible; PMx, posterior maxilla. sterior s defin v] � 4 t sites m (HU) .82 .49 .92 .83 le; AMx (Fig. 4). OOOOE 236 de Oliveira et al. February 2008 Differences in the bone densities of the 4 anatomical regions in the mouth were significant, with the anterior mandible yielding a higher mean bone density value, followed by the anterior maxilla, the posterior mandible, and the posterior maxilla. These differences have also been observed by other authors.11,18,21,31 But independent of method, the bone densities reported in those studies were higher than those found in this study because their measurements included the trabecular portion and the outer cortical shell. Lindh et al.9 used CT to evaluate maxillary bone and measured total bone density (cortical and trabecular) and trabecular bone alone. Mean trabecu- lar bone density was on average 24% lower than total bone density; in the anterior region (canine and incisor sites) and in the posterior region (molar and premolar sites), mean trabecular bone densities were 19% and 28% lower, respectively, than corresponding total bone densi- ties. Shapurian et al.30 detected no significant differences between the posterior maxilla and mandible, even though the posterior maxilla had a slightly higher mean density Fig. 4. Bland-Altman plot analysis of bone density as mea- sured with eFilm and DentaCT. Table II. Distribution of subjective classifications of bone type according to anatomical region in the axial images (n � 75) Region Subjective classification Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Type 4 Total AMd 1 4 1 0 6 AMx 0 4 1 1 6 PMd 1 21 12 0 34 PMx 1 8 10 10 29 Total (%) 3 (4%) 37 (49.3%) 24 (32%) 11 (14.7%) 75 (100%) AMd, anterior mandible; AMx, anterior maxilla; PMd, posterior man- dible; PMx, posterior maxilla. than the posterior mandible. The mean bone densities (HU) of the different bone types were not distributed anatomically as reported by Norton and Gamble.21 When only trabecular bone density was considered, bone types 1, 2, and 3 were found in all examined regions, except for bone type 1 in the anterior maxilla. Bone type 4 was found only in maxillary regions (Table II). This large variation between neighboring zones limits the significance of mean bone density values and emphasizes the importance of site-specific measurements of bone tissue before implant treatment, as suggested by Lindh et al.9 Site-specific measurements are important, not only for a general prediction of treatment outcome but also in the evaluation of how long of an interval between first- and second-stage surgical procedure and loading is needed.2,4,15,16 According to Ericsson and Nilner,10 it is important that an objective tool for the evaluation of bone tissue be developed so that clinicians can more easily determine when to load an implant: immediately, earlier, or later. In the subjective evaluation, a wide range of mean bone densities (HU) was observed in each of the 4 bone types defined by Lekholm and Zarb,11 particularly for types 2 and 3. The same was also observed by Norton and Gam- ble21 and Shahlaie et al.6 This may be a reflection of the limitations of a subjective system of bone density assess- ment. A density scale, rather than absolute values, would be more flexible and accurate in helping the clinician categorize bone quality, as a diagnostic predictor. Such a scale, like the one proposed by Norton and Gamble,21 would accommodate the “gray zones” be- tween the bone groups, which exist due to standard deviations. Quantitative parameters for bone type 4 were all values below �200 HU. This type of bone requires a meticulous surgical technique.11 Interme- diary values between �200 and �400 HU represent con- ditions favorable for osseointegration (bone types 2 and 3),11 and values above �400 HU indicate denser bone (bone type 1), which has a greater risk of overheating during implant installation11 (Table IV). The difficulty in differentiating between bone types 2 and 3 based on a subjective visual evaluation or quantitative bone density measurements in the present study was also found previ- ously by other authors.21,30,33 Shapurian et al.30 evaluated trabecular bone density and found a variation that ranged from �240 to 1159 HU (the amplitude found in this study was �57-1010 HU) in the anterior mandible, with the highest mean density value, followed by the anterior maxilla, the posterior maxilla, and the posterior mandible. A small sample of sites located in high-density re- gions11,18,21 and usually classified as type 111 had a wide confidence interval for the trabecular bone densities de- termined with both software applications (Table III). OOOOE Volume 105, Number 2 de Oliveira et al. 237 Table III. Trabecular bone densities determined with DentaCT and eFilm for bone type* Software Bone type Minimum (HU) Maximum (HU) Mean (HU) SD 95% CI P value† eFilm Type 1 559.90 1010.30 762.06 228.71 193.92-1330.20 �.001 Type 2 61.30 538.60 316.74 142.00 269.39-364.09 Type 3 �57.83 600.78 223.22 159.48 155.88-290.56 Type 4 �5.43 321.24 127.98 108.61 55.01-200.94 DentaCT Type 1 585.82 999.92 789.52 207.13 274.98-1304.06 �.001 Type 2 100.11 589.83 341.72 140.41 294.91-388.54 Type 3 �41.05 568.49 243.81 164.09 174.52-313.10 Type 4 9.20 331.50 134.75 105.81 63.66-205.83 HU, Hounsfield units; CI, confidence interval. *Type 1, n � 3; type 2, n � 37; type 3, n � 24; and type 4, n � 11. Bone types according to Lekholm and Zarb.11 †Kruskal-Wallis test. Table IV. Reference values of trabecular bone density for each bone type* Bone quality according to Lekholm and Zarb11 Norton and Gamble21 trabecular bone density scale (HU) Trabecular bone density according to this study (HU) Bone type 1 Almost the entire jaw is comprised of homogenous compact bone ��850 ��400 Bone type 2 A thick layer of compact bone surrounds a core of dense trabecular bone Bone type 3 A thin layer of compact bone surrounds a core of dense trabecular bone,favorable strength �500 to �850 (Bone types 2 and 3) �200 to � 400 (Bone types 2 and 3) Bone type 4 A thin layer of cortical bone surrounds a core of low-density trabecular bone 0 to �500 ��200 — Bone type 4† �0 — HU, Hounsfield units. *According to the classification of Lekholm and Zarb.11 †Additional bone quality category described as failure zone by Norton & Gamble. The implant will have considerable surface contact with fat marrow. OOOOE 238 de Oliveira et al. February 2008 In conclusion, this study confirms the importance of a site-specific bone tissue evaluation prior to surgical pro- cedures in implant installation. A quantitative reliable scale could be helpful if it is taken together with all clinical relevant information for implant planning. Besides the subjectiveness of data interpretation, the extent to which every single factor of bone quality influences im- plant treatment outcome has not been defined yet.34 Large epidemiological studies will be necessary to investigate this, and user-friendly software may facilitate the process. REFERENCES 1. Esposito M, Hirsch JM, Lekholm U, Thomsen P. Biological factors contributing to failures of osseointegrated oral implants. (I). Success criteria and epidemiology. Eur J Oral Sci 1998;106:527-51. 2. Friberg B, Jemt T, Lekholm U. Early failures in 4641 consecu- tively placed Branemark dental implants: a study from stage 1 surgery to the connection of completed prostheses. 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Reprint requests: Rubelisa Cândido Gomes de Oliveira, DDS School of Dentistry Federal University of Goiás Rua C-259, n 35, ap 801 Nova Suíça, Goiânia, GO 74280-220 Brazil rubelisa@cultura.com.br mail to:rubelisa@cultura.com.br Assessments of trabecular bone density at implant sites on CT images MATERIAL AND METHODS Selection of CT examinations and potential implant sites Measurements of bone density with eFilm workstation DentaCT bone density measurements Classification of bone quality Statistical analysis RESULTS DISCUSSION REFERENCES