title: Reliability of linear alveolar bone loss measurements of mandibular posterior teeth from digitized bitewing radiographs.
abstract: Observer reliability in performing linear measurements between the cementoenamel junction and alveolar crest was determined for mandibular posterior teeth from digitized clinical bitewing radiographs acquired during recall examinations. 6 measurements (corresponding to traditional probing measurements) were made per tooth by 3 observers. Mesial and distal measurements made to the most coronal aspects of the alveolar crest were the most reliable and least biased. As was anticipated, intra-observer reliability was better than inter-observer reliability although the 3 observers of our study were able to detect a significant mean change (0.1 mm, p<0.0001) in alveolar bone height over a 1-year period for 10 patients. For our most reliable and unbiased measurements (mesial measurements to the alveolar crest), a change of 0.54 mm (90th percentile) would be required to indicate change at a site from one time to the next. Based on the reliability of our digital radiographic measurements, with the alpha error rate set at 0.05 and beta at 0.20, a difference in alveolar bone height of 0.3 mm could be detected with a patient sample size of between 13 (best case) and 54 (worst case).
authors.affiliation: Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. hildebolt@mirlink.wustl.edu
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Hildebolt
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Pilgram
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yokoyama-Crothers
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Helbig
authors.forename: T Q
authors.initials: TQ
authors.lastname: Bartlett
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gravier
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Vannier
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Shrout
mesh_terms: D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D006801:Humans; D008334:Mandible / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015588:Observer Variation; D016300:Radiography, Bitewing / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019252:Radiography, Dental, Digital / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014070:Tooth / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*