Evaluation of the posterior superior alveolar artery and the maxillary sinus with CBCT Abstract: Assessment of the maxillary sinus anatomy before sinus augmentation is important for avoiding surgical complications, because of the close anatomical relationship between the posterior maxillary teeth and the maxillary sinus. The posterior superior alveolar artery (PSAA) is the branch of the maxillary artery that supplies the lateral sinus wall and overlying membrane. We evaluated the location of the PSAA and its relationship to the alveolar ridge and maxillary sinus using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). The study group consisted of 135 CBCT scans (270 sinuses) obtained from the archive of the dentomaxillofacial radiology department at Yeditepe University Faculty of Dentistry, Istanbul, Turkey. The distance between the lower border of the artery and the alveolar crest, bone height from the sinus floor to the ridge crest, distance from the artery to the medial sinus wall, and the diameter and location of the artery were determined. The occurrence of septa and pathology were recorded from CBCT scans. The PSAA was observed in 89.3% of sinuses, and 71.1% of arteries were intraosseous with diameters mostly ≤ 1 mm (68.9%). The prevalence of sinus septa was 55.2%, and that of sinus pathology was 57.4%. The mean age was 43.07 ± 17.55 years. There was a statistically significant difference between the location of the artery and gender (p < 0.05). The prevalence of sinus membrane thickening was 57.4%. Detailed knowledge about the location of the PSAA and sinus morphology may be obtained with CBCT before maxillary sinus surgery.

Aim. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between articular eminence inclination, height, and thickness of the roof of the glenoid fossa (RGF) according to age and gender and to assess condyle morphology including incidental findings of osseous characteristics associated with osteoarthritis (OA) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Materials and Methods. CBCT images of 105 patients were evaluated retrospectively. For articular eminence inclination and height, axial views on which the condylar processes were seen with their widest mediolateral extent being used as a reference view for secondary reconstruction. Condyle morphology was categorized both in the sagittal and coronal plane. Results. The mean values of eminence inclination and height of males were higher than those of females (P < 0.05). There were significant differences in the RGF thickness in relation to sagittal condyle morphology. Among the group of OA, the mean value of the RGF thickness for “OA-osteophyte” group was the highest (1.59 mm), whereas the lowest RGF values were seen in the “OA-flattening.” Conclusion. The sagittal osteoarthritic changes may have an effect on RGF thickness by mechanical stimulation and changed stress distribution. Gender has a significant effect on eminence height (Eh) and inclination.

Background: Detection of air cavities, so called pneumatizations, nearby to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) area is important, as they represent sites of minimal resistance and facilitate the spread of various pathologies into the joint as inflammation, tumor or fractures and serve as a possible complicating factor in TMJ surgery. Aims: To determine the prevalence of pneumatization of the articular eminence (PAT) and roof of the glenoid fossa (PRGF) using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Acquired images of 111 patients (222 TMJs) were evaluated. The presence of pneumatization was recorded at the articular eminence and roof of the glenoid fossa. Age and gender were recorded for all patients and type (unilocular or multilocular) and laterality were noted for the cases of pneumatization. Results:The mean age of the study group was 48.86±18.31 years. Among all the patients, 73 (65.8%) had PAT, while 13 (11.7%) had PRGF. Forty-two (37.8%) of the patients had PAT bilaterally; whereas 3 of them (2.7%) presented PRGF bilaterally. The percentage of PAT was higher for females (73.6%) than males (51.3%) (p<0.05). Conclusion: CBCT images are an accurate and reliable means of detection of the exact size and type of pneumatization and the relationship of pneumatization to the adjacent tissues. This is especially significant before a surgical intervention is planned in this region, in order to make a sound diagnosis.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate pre-existing CBCT images of a large sample of adult females and males to provide data on foramen magnum and mandibular measures of sexual dimorphism for use as a reference sample in cases of establishing identity in unknown fragmentary skulls. The study group consisted of 161 adult patients. 3D images of the patients were assessed retrospectively. FM measurements were obtained from reformatted axial sections. Six mandibular measurements were taken. According to the results, the study identified four mandibular measurements as final predictors of sex which are as follows: the gonial angle (G-angle) and ramus length (Ramus-L), gonion-gnathion length (G-G-L) and bigonial breadth (BG-Br). It was found that the cross-validated grouped overall predictive accuracy was 83.2% for FM and mandible measurements. It could correctly identify males in 77.3% and females in 87.4% of the cases. To assess sexual dimorphism, the gonial angle and ramus, gonion-gnathion lengths, and bigonial breadth of the mandible and sagittal diameter of the FM may be used on CBCT images.

Digital radiography users are increasing in Turkey and levels of knowledge of CBCT and awareness of radiation safety has also increased.