title: Relationship between femur bone mineral density, body mass index and dental panoramic mandibular cortical width in diagnosis of elderly postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure and determine mandibular cortical width (MCW) on the panoramic radiographs, to evaluate the usefulness of the method in identifying postmenopausal women with low femoral bone mineral densities (f- BMD) and to correlate the radiographic findings on panoramic radiographs with the f-BMD assessed by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to predict the efficacy of the radiographic method in diagnosing osteoporosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and twenty postmenopausal women (60 normal and 60 osteoporotic) in the age group of 50-75 y with f-BMD assessed by DXA had undergone panoramic radiographic examination. The patients were classified as normal (T-score ≥ -1.0) and osteoporotic (T-score ≤ -2.5). MCW on panoramic radiographs was measured bilaterally at the mental foramen region with a caliper and their mean was used as the exposure measure in the analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Student t-test showed that mean f-BMD, BMI and MCW was found be less in osteoporotic patients as compared to normal group with a statistically significant p-value < 0.001. Pearson correlation coefficient test revealed that MCW correlated positively with f-BMD and showed a significant decrease with age of the patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postmenopausal women with low f-BMD had thinner mandibular cortex at the mental foramen region when compared to normal subjects and are more susceptible to femoral neck fractures. Mandibular inferior cortical width at the mental foramen region could be used to identify postmenopausal women with low f- BMD. Hence, dental panoramic radiographs serve as a useful screening tool for early diagnosis of osteoporotic fractures.
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Divya Jyoti College of Dental Sciences & Research , Modinagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India .
authors.forename: Ravleen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nagi
authors.affiliation: Senior Professor, Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, M. S. Ramaiah Dental College and Hospital , MSRIT Post, New BEL Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, India .
authors.forename: Yashoda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Devi B K
authors.affiliation: Reader, Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, M. S. Ramaiah Dental College and Hospital , MSRIT Post, New BEL Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, India .
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rakesh
authors.affiliation: Professor and Head, Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, M. S. Ramaiah Dental College and Hospital , MSRIT Post, New BEL Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, India .
authors.forename: Sujatha S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.affiliation: Specialist and Lecturer, Department of Oral Diagnosis, Medicine and Radiology, Gulf Medical University , Ajman, UAE .
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Santana
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Orthopaedics, M.S. Ramaiah Medical College , Bangalore, Karnataka, India .
authors.forename: Naresh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shetty
keywords: Dual–energy absorptiometry; Mandibular cortical width; Menopause; Osteoporosis; Panoramic radiography