Quantitative determination of alveolar bone density using digital image analysis of microradiographs.

Horizontal 100 microns ground sections of 20 alveolar bone specimens from adult human mandibles obtained from autopsies were prepared for microradiography. Quantitative analysis of bone density of the alveolar cortex was performed using a semiautomatic digital image analysis system (KONTRON). The results demonstrated that bone density was higher in the lingual than in the labial alveolar cortex (p less than 0.05). In addition, the coronal portion of alveolar cortical bone was significantly more porous than the medical and apical ones (p less than 0.05). These variances were primarily due to increased canal size rather than to an increased number of canals. No significant age dependent changes in bone density could be determined.