Are Radiographic Changes in the Mandibular Canal Associated With Bone Mineral Density?

Osteoporosis, highly prevalent among postmenopausal women, significantly reduces bone density and increases the risk of fractures. Cortical bone, which constitutes the largest calcium deposit in the human skeleton, is primarily affected in various conditions, including osteoporosis. Due to its visibility in panoramic radiography, the cortical area of the mandibular canal could be valuable in assessing decreases in bone mineral density (BMD). The study aimed to characterize and compare changes in the cortices of the mandibular canal between normal, osteopenic, and osteoporotic postmenopausal women. Our cross-sectional study analyzed postmenopausal patients. We included only patients with panoramic radiographs with good quality and who underwent osteoporosis risk assessment by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). BMD was measured by DXA at 3 sites (spine, femur, and forearm) and used to classify the patients into normal, osteopenic, or osteoporotic. This classification remained consistent across all measurement sites. The main outcome variable was BMD of the mandibular canal cortices measured using black pixel intensity. Demographic covariates, including age, weight, height, and BMD, were assessed. One-way analysis of variance between groups considering a P