Assessment of cortical bone microdamage following insertion of microimplants using optical coherence tomography: a preliminary study

ObjectivesThe study was done to evaluate the efficacy of optical coherence tomography (OCT), to detect and analyze the microdamage occurring around the microimplant immediately following its placement, and to compare the findings with micro-computed tomography (μCT) images of the samples to validate the result of the present study.MethodsMicroimplants were inserted into bovine bone samples. Images of the samples were obtained using OCT and μCT. Visual comparisons of the images were made to evaluate whether anatomical details and microdamage induced by microimplant insertion were accurately revealed by OCT.ResultsThe surface of the cortical bone with its anatomical variations is visualized on the OCT images. Microdamage occurring on the surface of the cortical bone around the microimplant can be appreciated in OCT images. The resulting OCT images were compared with the μCT images. A high correlation regarding the visualization of individual microcracks was observed. The depth penetration of OCT is limited when compared to μCT.ConclusionsOCT in the present study was able to generate high-resolution images of the microdamage occurring around the microimplant. Image quality at the surface of the cortical bone is above par when compared with μCT imaging, because of the inherent high contrast and high-resolution quality of OCT systems. Improvements in the imaging depth and development of intraoral sensors are vital for developing a real-time imaging system and integrating the system into orthodontic practice.中文概要目的评估光学相干成像技术(OCT)用于检测植入微种植体产生微创的效果, 并将其与显微计算机断层扫描技术(μCT)进行对比, 进一步验证OCT的检测效果。创新点采用两种成像技术进行比对, 共同验证OCT的准确性和可行性。方法将微种植体植入牛骨样品中, 使用OCT和μCT成像。通过对比两种技术的成像来分析解剖学细节和微创面, 从而判断OCT是否能够准确反映微种植体植入带来的微创。结论OCT能够生成高分辨率图片, 清晰地反映微种植体周围产生的微创裂纹。与μCT生成的图像相比, 由于OCT系统的高对比度和高分辨率, OCT所生产的皮质骨表面图像质量高于正常标准。提高成像深度和开发口腔内部传感器对于发展实时成像系统并将其用于畸齿校正具有重大意义。