The Accuracy of Cone-beam Computerized Tomography Linear Measurements in Human Dry Mandible

Background & Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of Cone-beam Computerized Tomography (CBCT) linear measurements in dry mandibles by comparing them with direct measurements. Methods: Two human dry mandibles were used in this study. Thirteen sites were selected on each mandible. Specimens were scanned by CBCT and linear measurements were made using Planmeca Romexis 2.3.0.R software. Mandibles were cut into sections at marked locations and the same distances were measured by a digital caliper. Differences between two methods were assessed using paired t- test. Results: The mean differences for bone height, bone width and the crest-canal distance between CBCT and digital caliper measurements were -0.47±1 mm, -0.14±0.78 mm and 0.00±0.76 mm respectively. The differences were only, significant for bone height measurements (P<0.05). There was a high carreltion between the result of CBCT and gold standard. Conclusion: The results of this in-vitro study on mandible indicate that, although there is a statistically significant difference for bone height measurements between the two methods, the difference is not significant in clinical applications. Thus, CBCT was shown to be a useful technique for preoperative dental implant planning