Correlation Between CBCT and Torque-Based Measurements of Bone Density: A Study on Polyurethane Foam Blocks and Bovine Ribs.

The article investigates the correlation between average torque measurements obtained via a micromotor and gray values (GVs) from cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans as methods to assess bone density. Using polyurethane foam blocks and bovine ribs as models, the study found a strong and significant correlation between average torque and GVs in the standardized polyurethane blocks, indicating both methods effectively estimate physical bone density. In bovine ribs, the correlation was weaker but improved significantly when considering denser bone regions, likely due to the confounding effects of bone marrow and nonmineralized tissue on GV measurements. The findings suggest that while CBCT and micromotor torque measurements each provide quantitative data on bone density, the micromotor may serve as a complementary clinical tool to CBCT for evaluating bone density and quality, especially in denser bone.