The relationship between the bone characters obtained by CBCT and primary stability of the implants

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between the thickness of the cortical bone or the voxel values that are obtained by cone beam CT (CBCT) and the insertion torque values (ITVs) or the implant stability quotient (ISQ) values. METHODS: A pig's ilium was used as the implant placement site. The implants used in this study were two kinds of diameters (3.8 mm, 5.0 mm) and two kinds of lengths (7.0 mm, 12.0 mm) having a general threadlike shape with a mechanically polished surface. To measure the bone density and the cortical thickness around the implants accurately, the CBCT scanning was performed immediately just after the formation of the implant cavity. The initial stabilities were evaluated by the ITVs and the ISQ values. The bone density and cortical thickness around the implants were measured by an implant simulation software (Landmarker ver. 5.0 with special specifications for this study). The relationships of the thickness of the cortical bone and the voxel values with the ITVs and the ISQ values were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient. To evaluate the influence on the ITVs and the ISQ values among multiple factors, multiple regression analysis was performed. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A significant positive correlation was found between the thickness of the cortical bone and the ITVs or the ISQ values in all kinds of implants. In addition, a significant positive correlation was also found between the voxel values and the ITVs. From the multiple regression analysis, the thickness of the cortical bone and the voxel values had a positive influence on the ITVs and the ISQ values. In addition, the length of the implant had a positive influence on the ISQ values at the 3.8-mm-diameter implant. CONCLUSIONS: In this limited study, there were correlations between the thickness of the cortical bone or the voxel values obtained from the CBCT scanning and the implant stabilities. Besides, it was confirmed that the thickness of the cortical bone, the voxel value, and the implant length had positive correlations with the ITVs and the ISQ values.