Abstract
A new, precise, non-invasive method for measuring the bone mineral content (BMC) of the mandible in vivo by dual-photon absorptiometry has recently been introduced. The purpose of the present analysis was to examine the precision in vitro and in vivo and the accuracy in vivo for assessment of BMC in the maxilla. The precision was determined by repeated measurements in vitro on a cranium and in vivo on two test persons with and without a bone specimen fixed to a palatal plate. The accuracy in vivo was determined from the BMC measurements of the two test persons and of nine edentulous persons, scanned before and after augmentation of the maxillary alveolar ridge with hydroxyapatite. The analyses indicated that the precision for maxillary BMC assessments was high (0.9% in vitro and 2.0% in vivo) and the accuracy in vivo was 6.6%, corresponding to the accuracy in vitro for skeletal BMC measurements by dual-photon absorptiometry. The present method therefore seems to be well-suited for follow-up analyses of the BMC changes in the jaws after augmentation of the alveolar ridges with bone or hydroxyapatite.
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