Detection of peri-implant bone defects with different radiographic techniques - a human cadaver study.

Objectives Two- and three-dimensional radiographic techniques are available to determine peri-implantitis-related bone loss around dental implants. Purpose To compare the performance of detecting different peri-implant bone defects in intraoral radiography ( IR), panoramic radiography ( PR), Cone Beam Computer Tomography ( CBCT) and Computer Tomography ( CT). Material and methods Six implants were inserted under ideal conditions into the lower jaw of an edentulous human cadaver. IR, PR, CBCT and CT were performed. Two-wall, three-wall and four-wall defects with 1 mm depth were artificially created around two of the implants (one anterior and one posterior), and radiographies were repeated. The identical set-up was used for 3-mm-deep bone defects. All images were presented to seven observers. Sensitivity ( SN) and specificity ( SP) were determined for each modality, defect type and depths, and likelihood ratios were calculated. Results The highest sensitivity was found with IR and CBCT for 1 mm (0.67; 0.68) and 3-mm defects (0.81; 0.79). The highest specificity was found with IR for both defect depths (0.51). The best classification of defect type revealed PR for both 1-mm and 3-mm-deep defects. Both likelihood ratios ( LR+ and LR−) were best for IR with 1-mm (1.37 and 0.65) and with 3-mm defects (1.65 and 0.37). Conclusions IR should still be recommended as favourable method evaluating bone loss around dental implants, while CT demonstrated the lowest performance in detecting peri-implant bone defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]