Can Mental Index be used on CBCT images to determine sexual dimorphism?

Radiomorphometric indices (RI) vary according to gender and age. The objective of this study was to assess bone quality in men and women, using tomographic images

Methods:

A total of 78 Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) images of female and male patients were analyzed. The images were obtained from LAPI-FOUSP database, São Paulo, Brazil, and the Mental Index, which is a quantitative index, was evaluated on those images. The images were divided into 2 groups: Group M – Men and Group W – Women and evaluated by one examiner in two different times (T1 and T2). The data was submitted to a statistical analysis with a 95% level of significance (p <0.05)

Results:

The ICC tests showed an average to good intra-examiner agreement. The age averages were: 48.46 ± 15.3 for group W and 53.87 ± 13.09 for group M. On the MI evaluation, statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups

Conclusion:

We concluded that MI can be used to determine sexual dimorphism, once the thickness of the mandible cortex in women is smaller than the thickness found in men.

Indexing terms
Cone-beam computed tomography; Radiology; Sex characteristics

Mental Index (MI)	MI right mean±SD	MI left mean±SD	p value
Women	4,19±0,79	4,10±0,84	0,50
Men	5,10±1,01	5,32±1,13	0,22

Mental Index (MI)	Women Mean±SD	Men Mean±SD	p Value
MI	4,150±0,97	5,214±1,075	0,0001^*

MI	Alteration	Normal	P value
Men	0	39 (100 %)	0,4935
Women	2 (5,12%)	37 (94, 88%)	0,4935

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[1] Collaborators

ALE CARNEIRO analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript. SES MACIEL and DMRA SALGADO performed the experiments and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. JRM ZAMBRANA analyzed the data. NRM ZAMBRANA critically reviewed the manuscript for important intellectual content. C COSTA designed the study and analyzed the data. All authors discussed the results and commented on the manuscript at all stages. The manuscript was read and approved by all authors.