Relationship between the mandibular inferior cortex and bone stiffness in elderly Japanese people

This study assessed the relationship between the mandibular inferior cortex (MIC) and bone stiffness in elderly Japanese subjects. Results suggest that MIC classification may be useful for screening patients for the possibility of osteoporosis by measuring bone stiffness with ultrasound bone densitometry. Introduction: The prevention of fractures is a priority for patients with osteoporosis. Dental panoramic radiographs are frequently taken for the examination of teeth and jaws in general dental practice worldwide. This study assessed the relationship between the mandibular inferior cortex (MIC) and bone stiffness in elderly Japanese subjects. Methods: This study included 519 healthy subjects (263 men and 256 women) aged 70 years old. We evaluated the relationship between MIC classification and bone stiffness using Scheffe's multiple comparison test. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between MIC classification and bone stiffness after controlling for confounding factors. Results: A significant correlation was found between MIC classification and bone stiffness in men (C1 vs C2: p<0.05) and women (C1 vs C2: p=NS, C1 vs C3: p<0.01, C2 vs C3: p<0.05). MIC classification was significantly associated with bone stiffness on multiple linear regression analysis after controlling for sex, body mass index, regular exercise, and smoking (β=-0.11, p<0.01, R ²=0.387, p<0.001). Conclusions: Our study suggests that MIC classification may be useful for screening patients for the possibility of osteoporosis by measuring bone stiffness with ultrasound bone densitometry.