Quantitative Analysis Of Alveolar Bone Level Using AutoCAD Software

Objective:Establish and evaluate new quantitative method for measurement of alveolar bone level using AutoCAD software program.Methods:1、Oral panoramic radiographs were studied. The area from the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) to the alveolar bone level (BL) and the area from the CEJ to the root apex (RA) were directly measured. At the same time, the distance between the CEJ and BL as well as the distance between the CEJ and RA were measured. The proportional values of the area and distance of the alveolar bone loss were analyzed. The images were measured using AutoCAD software program.2、Observer screens302patients without missing tooth (from16to65years old), and measures the ratios between the areas of2mm to the under of the CEJ, one third of tooth root length, one half of tooth root length and the area from the CEJ to the root apex (RA),then formulates the range of alveolar bone quantitative value.Results:1、A total of336areas and672linear distances (CEJ-BL plus CEJ-RA) from the oral panoramic radiographs were measured. There was high correlative consistency between the traditional length ratios of the alveolar bone loss and the area ratios obtained by using AutoCAD. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was0.921(p<0.001). There were great agreement between different operators, the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was0.994(95%CI:0.988-0.997,P<0.001). Pearson’s correlation coefficient was0.988(p<0.001).2、A total of2416areas from302films were measured using AutoCAD, the average of the area of2mm to the under of the CEJ is0.1535,(S±0.0091); The average of the area of one third of tooth root length is0.3265,(S±0.0152); The verage of the area of one half of tooth root length is0.5039(S±0.0202)Conclusions:The area ratios of the alveolar bone loss measured using AutoCAD may be a new method feasible for quantitatively evaluating alveolar bone level in2-dimensional radiographic imaging.