Dual-photon absorptiometry of mandibles: in vitro test of a new method.

A new method for non-invasive in vivo measurement of changes in bone mineral content (BMC) of mandibles, comprising two-dimensional dual-photon absorptiometry (GT45), has been developed and tested in vitro on mandibular specimens. The analysis showed that: 1) in vitro precision and accuracy of the methods are high, 2) effect of fat and soft tissue on photon attenuation is slight when scanning jaws and forearm bones, 3) BMC in units (U/cm2) in standard area, comprising mandibular base and body in left molar region, is representative for BMC in total mandibular base and body, 4) cortical bone constitutes the main part of measured BMC in mandibles, and 5) BMC of molar region is highly correlated to cortical bone mass in mm3/mm2 subperiosteal surface of standard locality anterior to and below mental foramen, measured by histomorphometry. GT45 seems suitable for in vivo estimation of BMC changes in edentulous jaws and in mandibular base and body of dentate mandibles in longitudinal and cross-sectional studies. The radiation dose is negligible.