title: Human mandibular trabecular bone density correlation with mechanical strength: implications for implant dentistry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The prognosis of a dental implant depends on the mechanical properties of the bone. The preoperative diagnosis of bone quality has become more important, because the immediate loading procedure is now widely used, and a firm initial stability is required. Quantitative computed tomography (QCT) is an effective method of determining selectively the bone mineral density (BMD) of the trabecular bone mostly responsible for the survival of the implant. In this project, we investigated the relationship between the BMD measured by QCT and the mechanical strength of the mandible.
  
  
  METHODS
  The BMD (mg/mL) of 58 trabecular bone specimens from 6 embalmed human cadaver mandibles were obtained using QCT. The compressive strength to break point was performed with a mechanical device. Each specimen was washed and weighed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean values of BMD for the anterior, premolar, and molar region were 633.3, 571.0, and 518.3 mg/mL, respectively. The mean values of compressive strength were 0.237, 0.216, and 0.196 kN, and the ash weights were 0.047, 0.044, and 0.039 g, respectively. There was a positive correlation between the BMD and the mechanical strength (R = 0.77) and between the ash weight and the mechanical strength (R = 0.84).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was strong correlation of bone strength, bone mineral, and bone density by QCT. QCT is an excellent preoperative diagnostic tool to select the most mechanically appropriate implant for initial stability and improve the survival prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Section of Oral Implantology, Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Fukuoka Dental College, Fukuoka, Japan. hkido@college.fdcnet.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kido
authors.forename: Eloy E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: Kae
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kakura
authors.forename: Katsuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Kenzo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morinaga
authors.forename: Masaro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuura
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D015519:Bone Density; D002102:Cadaver; D019245:Compressive Strength; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008334:Mandible / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*