title: Comparison of digitized radiographic alveolar features between 20- and 70-year-old women. A preliminary study.
abstract: The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether a difference exists in four digital image features, extracted from standardized periapical radiographs of the maxillary alveolar bone, between younger and older women. These features included mean pixel intensity, I(x); pixel intensity variance, var I(x); mean absolute Fourier transform coefficient, magnitude of F(u); and mean spatial first moment of the absolute Fourier coefficients, M1. The interproximal bone between the maxillary canine and lateral incisor was analyzed in two groups of 10 younger and older women with mean ages of 24 and 74 years, respectively. I(x) was significantly less in the 70-year-old group than in the 20-year-old group (p = 0.01), as were magnitude of F(u) (p less than 0.05) and M1 (p less than 0.01). Var I(x) tended to be significantly less in the 70-year-old group (p = 0.06). We conclude that in women a measurable diminution in the magnitude of these four bony features comes with age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, University of Iowa, Iowa City.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Southard
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Southard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015519:Bone Density; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008437:Maxilla / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted