Sonography in the diagnosis of peri‐implant bone defects: An in vitro study on native human mandibles

Aim The aim of this study on native human cadavers was to compare clinical, sonographic, and radiological measurements of fenestrations, dehiscences, and 3‐wall bone defects on implants. Materials and Methods The examination was carried out on five human mandibles. After the insertion of 27 implants, dehiscences ( n = 14), fenestrations ( n = 7) and 3‐wall bone defects ( n = 6) were prepared in a standardized manner. The direct measurement of the bone defects was carried out with a periodontal probe and the radiological examination was carried out using digital volume tomography (DVT). The ultrasound examination (US) was performed using a clinical 24‐MHz US imaging probe. Means and standard deviations of the direct, US, and DVT measurements were calculated. Measurements were statistically compared using the Pearson correlation coefficient and Bland–Altman analysis. Results Bone defects were on average 3.22 ± 1.58 mm per direct measurement, 2.90 ± 1.47 mm using US, and 2.99 ± 1.52 mm per DVT assessment. Pairwise correlations of these measurements were R = .94 ( p < .0001) between direct and US, R = .95 ( p < .0001) between DVT and US, and R = .96 ( p < .0001) between direct and DVT. The mean differences of the measurements (and 95% CI) between direct and US was 0.41 (−0.47 to 1.29), US and DVT 0.33 (−0.30 to 0.97), and direct and DVT 0.28 (−0.50 to 1.07). Conclusion All peri‐implant bone defects could be identified and sonographically measured. US measurements showed a strong correlation with direct and DVT measurements. The sonographic measurement accuracy was highest for dehiscences, followed by fenestrations and 3‐wall bone defects.