Variations in trabecular bone ratio according to age, sex, and mechanical stimulus using micro-CT in Koreans

Abstract

A decrease in bone mineral density (BMD) is analogous to a reduction in the cortical bone or the trabecular portion of cancellous bone, which play important roles in maintaining the general structure of bone. Decreases in BMD are related to increasing age, sex, and tooth loss, but most of the related studies employed conventional radiographic analysis, and data from the Korean population are rare. The aim of this study was to elucidate the trabecular pattern of the jaw bone using micro computed tomography (micro-CT). Seventy-seven (39 mandibles, 38 maxillae) specimens were prepared from fully and partially dentate jaws. Specimens were scanned with micro-CT and reconstructed three dimensionally. Sections were made parallel to the axis of each tooth. The trabecular bone ratio (TBR) was measured, with the data being statistically using one-way ANOVA (α=.05). The TBR differed significantly between dentate and edentulous mandibles in the molar region and between dentate and edentulous maxillae in the first molar region. The TBR values of edentulous maxillae and mandibles were higher in males than in females. The TBR decreased monotonically with increasing age in dentate but not edentulous mandibles. From these results it can be concluded that the TBR varies significantly according to the presence of teeth, sex, and age in specific areas.