A retrospective comparative fractal and radiomorphometric analysis of the effect of bisphosphonate use pattern and duration on the mandible

Aims The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of two different bisphosphonate types on bone using dental panoramic radiographs (DPRs) and to compare these findings with a healthy cohort. Study design Panoramic dental radiographs of bisphosphonate users (30) and healthy individuals (30) were retrospectively evaluated for the study. Regarding FA, standardized 50 x 50 pixel regions of interest (ROI) were identified for each patient. Moreover, the assessment encompassed Mandibular Cortical Width (MCW), Panoramic Mandibular Index (PMI), and Mandibular Cortical Index (MCI). A significance level of p < 0.05 was deemed to be statistically significant. Results The case group showed significantly higher MCW and PMI measurements than the control group (p < 0.001). Right and left MCI measurements differed depending on the type of drug used (p = 0.008 and p = 0.019, respectively). No discernible correlation was found between the time elapsed since the last dose and any measurement values (p > 0.05). Conclusion This study showed that bisphosphonate type and duration of drug use have a significant effect on changes in cortical bone structure. The persistence of these effects, unaffected by the time since the previous dose, suggests that bisphosphonates have a long-lasting effect on bone.