Age and trabecular features of alveolar bone associated with osteoporosis

Objective. To determine the utility of clinical features, combined with optical density measurements and morphologic analysis of periapical images, for identifying individuals with low lumbar or femoral bone mineral density. Study design. Study subjects consisted of 37 females and 29 males. Bone mineral densities (BMD) of lumbar spine and proximal femur were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Clinical variables included subjects' age, height, and weight. Optical density and morphologic features were measured from subjects' posterior maxilla and mandible. Classification and regression tree analysis was used to assess agreement between actual and predicted BMD status. Results. The combination of clinical and morphological analysis of trabecular pattern are associated with femoral/lumbar BMD. Significant associations were found in the maxilla and mandible. The most important clinical variable was age. Conclusion. This study showed that morphologic analysis of periapical radiographs, combined with clinical variables, can assist in identifying individuals with low femoral/lumbar BMD.