فهرست نشریات علمی دسترسی آزاد ایران

Background: In osteoporotic patients, inferior mandibular cortex undergoes resorption which its manifestationscan be detected on dental panoramic radiographs as a simple and available method. The aim of this study wasto evaluate the correlation between width and morphology of mandibular inferior cortex in digital panoramic radiographyand postmenopausal osteoporosis.Methods: Bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar vertebrae and femural neck of 119 postmenopause womenwas assessed using DXA. Width [cortical index (CI)] and morphology [mandibular cortical index (MCI)] of inferiormandibular cortex were measured and the correlations between BMD and width and shape of the inferior mandibularcortex were evaluated.Results: The specificity and sensitivity in identifying women with low BMD of lumbar vertebrae by visual corticalestimation (normal or eroded) were 69.4% and 80.7% respectively. These results in identifying women with lowBMD of femural neck were 67.7% and 81.5% respectively. For both sides, the threshold value that provided thehighest validity (minimal false negative and false positive results) corresponded to cortical width of 4.29 mm. Thisthreshold in lumbar vertebrae or femural neck provided a sensitivity of 81.4% (95% CI=69.1%-90.3%), specificityof 58.3% (95% CI=44.9%-70.9%), positive predictive value of 65.8% and likelihood ratio of 1.95. There weresignificant associations between BMD and CI and MCI.Conclusion: Postmenopausal women with thin or eroded mandibular inferior cortex may have an increased riskfor low BMD or osteoporosis.