Texture based evaluation of osseo integration of oral implants in dental panoramic radiography

In this study texture differentiation associated to bone regeneration properties, around loaded oral implants immersed to Platelets Rich Plasma (PRP), was investigated in panoramic radiographs. The bone-to-implant contact region was analyzed in a follow up clinical sample of 30 digitized panoramic radiographs, 15 corresponding to implant loading (Class I) and 15 after an 8 month period (Class II). This region was sampled by circular Regions of Interest (ROIs) resulting from a specifically designed segmentation stage resulting in 518 ROIs (254 Class I and 264 class II). From each ROI, 42 textural features were extracted, and subjected to statistical analysis in order to evaluate osseo integration of oral implants. A subset of 6 features, selected with stepwise discriminant analysis method, achieved Area Under Curve (AUC) values greater than 0.73, indicating that these features are capable of capturing temporal textural differentiation attributed bone regeneration properties in the bone-to-implant contact region.