title: Is micro-computed tomography reliable to determine the microstructure of the maxillary alveolar bone?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the reliability of micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) to assess bone density and the microstructure of the maxillary bones at the alveolar process in human clinics by direct comparison with conventional stereologic-based histomorphometry.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of osseous microstructural variables including bone volumetric density (BV/TV) of 39 biopsies from the maxillary alveolar bone was performed by micro-CT. Conventional stereologic-based histomorphometry of 10 bone biopsies was performed by optic microscopy (OM) and low-vacuum surface electronic microscopy (SEM). Percentages of bone between micro-CT and conventional stereologic-based histomorphometry were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant positive correlations were observed between BV/TV and the percentage of bone (%Bone) analyzed by SEM (r = 0.933, P < 0.001), by toluidine blue staining OM (r = 0.950, P < 0.001) and by dark field OM (r = 0.667, P = 0.05). The high positive correlation coefficient between BV/TV and trabecular thickness illustrates that a value of BV/TV upper than 50% squares with a bone presenting most of their trabecules thicker than 0.2 mm. The high negative correlation between BV/TV and trabecular separation shows that values of BV/TV upper than 50% squares with a bone presenting most of their trabecules separated less than 0.3 mm each other.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BV/TV assessed by micro-CT correlates with the percentage of bone assessed by conventional stereologic-based histomorphometry. Micro-CT is a reliable technique to determine the bone density and the microstructure of the maxillary alveolar bone at the site of dental implant insertion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Infanta Cristina, Badajoz, Spain. raulmaxilo@gmail.com
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: González-García
authors.forename: Florencio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Monje
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008853:Microscopy; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D014048:Tolonium Chloride; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D014048:Tolonium Chloride