Quantifications of Mandibular Trabecular Bone Microstructure Using Cone Beam Computed Tomography for Age Estimation: A Preliminary Study

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Studies pertaining to age-related changes in the human jaw are very limited. Age-related changes for forensic assessments were merely based on the qualitative architecture and external geometry. With advancements in imaging technology, the paradigm has shifted and more emphasis is laid on the internal trabecular architecture, as this imparts more complexity and strength when compared to other determinants. The desired objective of this study was to draw useful associations between trabecular microarchitecture and chronological age. In this study, we characterize trabecular bone microstructure in the human mandible in 20 subjects ranging from 22 to 43 years using retrospective cone beam computed tomography image datasets. The images were post-processed via a semi- automated threshold guided approach and reconstructed using AnalyzeDirect 14.0 software to correlate trabecular number (Tb. N), trabecular thickness (Tb. Th), trabecular separation (Tb. Sp), trabecular surface density (Tb- BS/TV) and trabecular bone volume (Tb- BV/TV) with the individual’s chronological age and sex. Statistically significant negative correlations were observed in trabecular number (r =−0.489) and trabecular surface density (r = −0.527) in relation to chronological age. The characterization and quantification of the trabecular bone microarchitecture can immensely serve as a digital imprint in chronological age estimation. ABSTRACT: The aim of this study is two-fold: first, to correlate the values for each of the trabecular bone microstructure (TBM) parameters to the individual’s chronological age and sex, thereby facilitating the assessment of potential age and sex-related changes in trabecular bone microstructure parameters in the mandible; and second, to quantify the trabecular microstructural parameters in relation to chronological age. Twenty cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) scans were retrieved retrospectively from a database of adult patients with ages ranging in age from 22 to 43 years. In the mandible, the volume of interest included the inter-dental space between the second mandibular premolar and the first mandibular molar, as well as the trabecular space beneath and between the apices. Using the AnalyzeDirect 14.0 software, the DICOM images of CBCT scans were pre-processed, transformed, segmented using a novel semi-automatic threshold-guided method, and quantified. In addition, TBM parameters were derived, and statistical analysis was conducted using a Pearson correlation test with two tails. All parameters exhibited no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) between chronological age and sex. Statistically significant negative correlations were found between Tb. N (r = −0.489), BS/TV (r = −0.527), and chronological age (p = 0.029 and p = 0.017, respectively). Only Tb. N and BS/TV exhibited an inverse relationship with chronological age. Numerous studies have quantified the trabecular architecture of the jaw bones, but none have found a correlation between the quantified trabecular parameters and chronological age. The digital imprints produced by radiographic imaging can serve as biological profiles for data collection.