Fractal analysis of mandibular condyle trabecular structure in children

Year 2025, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 138 - 142, 23.03.2025

Elif Meltem Aslan , Gülsevim Oda

https://doi.org/10.47582/jompac.1644907

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in the trabecular structure of the mandibular condyle with age in children using fractal analysis (FA) on dental panoramic radiographs (DPRs) and to evaluate the fractal dimension (FD) differences according to age groups and gender.
Methods: In this retrospective study, 110 pediatric patients with DPR were divided into 2 groups according to age: 6-8 age group (n=55, mean: 6.8±0.704 years), 9-12 age group (n=55, mean: 11.18±1.775 years). FD values obtained from the right and left mandibular condyle were analyzed according to age and gender. For the calculation of FD, a 40x40 pixel square region of interest (ROI) was selected from the geometric center of both mandibular condyles. Image J version 1.52 software was used to obtain FD values by box counting method. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics program. T-test was used to compare parametric data and Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare non-parametric data. Statistical significance level was determined as p<0.05.
Results: The mean FD of the right condyle was 1.046±0.086 and the mean FD of the left condyle was 1.201±1.205 in the 9-12 age group; the mean FD of the right condyle was 0.909±0.063 and the mean FD of the left condyle was 0.924±0.08 in the 6-8 age group. The mean FD values of both condyles increased with age and this increase was statistically significant (p<0.001). There was no significant difference between the mean FD values of the right and left condyles between genders in the same age group (p>0.05).
Conclusion: In the present study, FD values were determined for the trabecular structure of the mandibular condyle in healthy children. The results of the study showed that the FD values obtained from both mandibular condyles on DPRs in children increased with age.

Keywords

Fractal analysis, panoramic radiograph, pediatric patients

Ethical Statement

Ethics: Human and animal rights statement All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1964 and later versions. Ethical Statement: Ethical approval was obtained from Ankara Medipol University Non-interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee (Protocol No: 63).

Çocuklarda Mandibular Kondil Trabeküler Yapısının Fraktal Analizi

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, dental panoramik radyografiler (DPR) üzerinde fraktal analiz (FA) kullanarak çocuklarda mandibular kondilin trabeküler yapısında yaşla birlikte meydana gelen değişiklikleri araştırmak ve yaş gruplarına ve cinsiyete göre fraktal boyut (FD) farklılıklarını değerlendirmektir.
Yöntemler: Bu retrospektif çalışmada, DPR'li 110 pediatrik hasta yaşa göre 2 gruba ayrıldı: 6-8 yaş grubu (n=55, ortalama: 6.8 ± 0.704 yıl), 9-12 yaş grubu (n=55, ortalama: 11.18 ± 1.775 yıl). Sağ ve sol mandibular kondilden elde edilen FD değerleri yaş ve cinsiyete göre analiz edilmiştir. FD hesaplaması için her iki mandibular kondilin geometrik merkezinden 40x40 piksel kare görüntüleme alanı (ROI) seçildi. Kutu sayma yöntemiyle FD değerlerini elde etmek için Image J versiyon 1.52 yazılımı kullanıldı. Veriler IBM SPSS İstatistik programı kullanılarak analiz edildi. Parametrik verileri karşılaştırmak için T-testi, parametrik olmayan verileri karşılaştırmak için Mann-Whitney U testi kullanıldı. İstatistiksel anlamlılık düzeyi p<0.05 olarak belirlendi.
Bulgular: 9-12 yaş grubunda sağ kondil FD ortalaması 1.046±0.086, sol kondil FD ortalaması 1.201±1.205; 6-8 yaş grubunda sağ kondil FD ortalaması 0.909±0.063, sol kondil FD ortalaması 0.924±0.08 olarak bulundu. Her iki kondilin ortalama FD değerleri yaşla birlikte artmıştır ve bu artış istatistiksel olarak anlamlıdır (p<0.001). Aynı yaş grubunda cinsiyetler arasında sağ ve sol kondillerin ortalama FD değerleri arasında anlamlı bir fark yoktu (p>0.05).
Sonuç: Bu çalışmada, sağlıklı çocuklarda mandibular kondilin trabeküler yapısı için FD değerleri belirlendi. Çalışma sonuçları, çocuklarda DPR'lerde her iki mandibular kondilden elde edilen FD değerlerinin yaşla birlikte arttığını gösterdi.

Keywords

Fraktal analiz, panoramik radyografi, mandibular kondil, pediatrik hastalar

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