In vitro assessment of local computed tomography for the detection of longitudinal tooth fractures.
OBJECTIVE
To test the accuracy of local computed tomography (LCT) in detecting longitudinal fractures in comparison with conventional periapical radiographs.


METHODS
Longitudinal fractures were induced in 30 of 60 teeth. The teeth were placed in a dry dentate mandible with soft tissue simulation. A laboratory LCT unit was used to acquire 180 basis projections with 1 degree separation along a 180 degree arc. Conventional radiographs served as the control modality. Correlated axial, coronal, and sagittal views were presented to 10 observers. The observers determined the presence of a root fracture by using a 5-point receiver operating characteristic confidence scale.


RESULTS
The mean A(z) for LCT was 0.91 (SD = 0.07). The mean A(z) for conventional radiography was 0.70 (SD = 0.07). The difference between the modalities was statistically significant (analysis of variance: P < .0002), whereas the differences between the observers was not (analysis of variance: P = .319).


CONCLUSIONS
Local CT significantly improves the detection of longitudinal fractures in vitro compared with conventional periapical radiography.
Mora
Maria A
MA
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Mol
André
A
Tyndall
Donald A
DA
Rivera
Eric M
EM
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D006801:Humans; D015588:Observer Variation; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D012372:ROC Curve; D011861:Radiography, Dental / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D014082:Tooth Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging