Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41801456›Full record

ArticleClinical oral investigations2026

Periapical lesion healing in osteoporosis patients: an explorative retrospective, controlled pilot cohort study.

Thomas Gerhard Wolf, Senta Sophia Geiger, Benjamin Briseño-Marroquin, Guglielmo Campus, David Donnermeyer, James Deschner, Anna Damanaki

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Article in Clinical oral investigations, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Thomas Gerhard WolfDepartment of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. thomaswolf@uni-mainz.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4044-1893
Senta Sophia GeigerDepartment of Periodontology and Operative Dentistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Augustusplatz 2, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
Benjamin Briseño-MarroquinDepartment of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0476-939X
Guglielmo CampusDepartment of Cariology, Institute of Odontology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
David DonnermeyerDepartment of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7162-9795
James DeschnerDepartment of Periodontology and Operative Dentistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Augustusplatz 2, 55131, Mainz, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8808-8769
Anna DamanakiDepartment of Periodontology and Operative Dentistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Augustusplatz 2, 55131, Mainz, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2706-398X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsOsteoporosis is a systemic disease characterized by reduced bone density. The aim of this exploratory, retrospective controlled pilot study following STROBE guidelines, was to descriptively assess periapical lesion healing following endodontic treatment in patients with osteoporosis compared with matched healthy controls and to generate hypotheses for future studies.

methodsDigital X-ray images of patients who underwent endodontic treatment at a German university dental clinic between January 2011 and December 2020 were evaluated. Patients with radiographically visible periapical lesions, a follow-up radiograph obtained 6–12 months after treatment, and a documented diagnosis of osteoporosis were included. Changes in periapical lesion size and Periapical Index (PAI) scores were assessed and compared with an age- and tooth-group-matched control cohort. Given the limited sample size, analyses were considered exploratory.

resultsOut of 103,385 screened patients, 13 patients with osteoporosis (4 male, 9 female) fulfilled all inclusion criteria and were matched to 13 healthy controls. Both groups demonstrated a reduction in periapical lesion size over time (mean change: -2.47 mm in the osteoporosis group and − 1.90 mm in controls). A mean improvement of one PAI grade was observed in both cohorts. No statistically significant group differences were detected.

conclusionsWithin the limitations of this exploratory pilot study, no statistically significant differences in radiographic periapical healing were observed between patients with osteoporosis and matched healthy controls. Due to the limited sample size and the resulting limited statistical significance, these findings should be interpreted with caution, and further studies are needed to clarify the possible influence of osteoporosis on endodontic healing. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: With demographic change, the potential influence of osteoporosis on endodontic healing is of increasing clinical interest. This study highlights both feasibility and methodological challenges when addressing this question in retrospective clinical cohorts.

Indexed as

OsteoporosisPeriapical DiseasesRoot Canal TherapyWound HealingAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsRadiography, Dental, DigitalRetrospective StudiesBone regenerationEndodonticsHealingOsteoporosisPeriapical periodontitisRetrospective

Identifiers

PMID41801456
PMCPMC12971762

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