Ultrasound imaging of the jawbone is not currently used in dental medicine to determine bone density. Bone-marrow defects in the human jawbone (BMDJ/FDOJ) are widely discussed in dentistry owing to their role in implant failures and as sources of inflammation in various immune diseases. The use of through-transmission alveolar ultrasonography (TAU) to locate BMDJ/FDOJ was evaluated in this study using a new TAU apparatus (TAU-n). The objective was to determine whether TAU-n readings accurately indicate the clinical parameters to detect BMDJ/FDOJ. Three parameters were compared with TAU-n measurements: 2-D orthopantomogram, Hounsfield units using digital volume tomography and post-operatively measured levels of RANTES/CCL5 expression in BMDJ/FDOJ samples. Based on the available clinical data, Hounsfield units, RANTES/CCL5 expression and TAU-n color codes yielded consistent results with respect to bone mineral density. Thus, ultrasonography with TAU-n is a reliable and efficient diagnostic method to screen for BMDJ/FDOJ in dentistry.
Keywords: Bone marrow defects of the jaw; Digital volume tomography; Fatty-degenerative osteolysis/osteonecrosis of the jaw; Orthopantomogram; RANTES/CCL5; TAU-n device; Transalveolar ultrasonography.
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