Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41442002›Full record

ArticleOral radiology2026

Mandibular canal cortical assessment for screening low bone mineral density in panoramic radiographs: the cortical index of mandibular canal.

Plauto Christopher Aranha Watanabe, Alan Grupioni Lourenço, Giovani Antônio Rodrigues, Vanderlei Brandão Júnior, Marcelo Rodrigues Azenha, Claudio Fróes de Freitas, Yeda da Silva, Luciana Munhoz

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Article in Oral radiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Plauto Christopher Aranha WatanabeDepartment of Stomatology, Public Health and Forensic Dentistry, Ribeirão Preto School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
Alan Grupioni LourençoDepartment of Morphology, Physiology, and Basic Pathology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Giovani Antônio RodriguesDepartment of Stomatology, Public Health and Forensic Dentistry, Ribeirão Preto School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
Vanderlei Brandão JúniorDepartment of Stomatology, Public Health and Forensic Dentistry, Ribeirão Preto School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
Marcelo Rodrigues AzenhaDepartment of Stomatology, Public Health and Forensic Dentistry, Ribeirão Preto School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
Claudio Fróes de FreitasDepartment of Stomatology, São Paulo University, Dentistry School, São Paulo, Brazil.
Yeda da SilvaDepartment of Radiology, São Paulo University, Medicine School, São Paulo, Brazil.
Luciana MunhozDepartment of Medical Imaging, Hematology and Oncology, São Paulo University, Ribeirão Preto Medicine School, São Paulo, Brazil. dra.lucimunhoz@gmail.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo qualitatively assess the continuity of the mandibular canal cortices at different segments (ramus, angle, and body) on panoramic radiographs and to correlate these findings with bone mineral density (BMD) status determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), using a novel visual index: the Cortical Index of the Mandibular Canal (CIMC) for osteoporosis screening.

methodsPanoramic radiographs and DXA results were retrospectively selected. Women were grouped according to consistent DXA classifications in all evaluated sites. The mandibular canal was segmented into three anatomical regions, and the continuity of its cortices was visually assessed using the CIMC. The Mandibular Cortical Index (MCI) was also applied for comparative evaluation.

resultsNinety postmenopausal women aged 40 years or older were included. The mandibular body showed the strongest correlation between CIMC classification and BMD status. CIMC in the mandibular body also demonstrated higher accuracy (AUC = 0.731) compared to the MCI (AUC = 0.650). Accuracy of both indices improved when combined with body mass index (BMI).

conclusionsThe CIMC applied to the mandibular body is a simple visual index for screening individuals with low BMD. Loss of cortical continuity in this region may indicate systemic bone loss.

Indexed as

Bone DensityMandibleOsteoporosis, PostmenopausalRadiography, PanoramicAbsorptiometry, PhotonAdultAgedBody Mass IndexFemaleHumansMass ScreeningMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesBone mineral densityMandibleMandibular canalPanoramic radiographyScreening

Identifiers

PMID41442002

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.