A Comparison of 2 Patient Populations Using Fractal Analysis

• Published in: Journal of periodontology (1970) 1998-01, Vol.69 (1), p.9-13
• Main Authors: Shrout, Michael K., Roberson, Bradley, Potter, Brad J., Mailhot, Jason M., Hildebolt, Charles F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Alveolar Process - diagnostic imaging; Dentistry; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Fractals; Gingiva - diagnostic imaging; Gingivitis - diagnostic imaging; gingivitis/diagnosis; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Male; National Institutes of Health (U.S.); Periodontal Pocket - diagnostic imaging; Periodontitis - diagnostic imaging; periodontitis/diagnosis; Public Sector; Radiography, Dental, Digital; Reproducibility of Results; United States
• ISSN: 0022-3492; 1943-3670
• DOI: 10.1902/jop.1998.69.1.9

This study was undertaken to demonstrate that the fractal dimensions calculated using digitized non‐standardized, clinical radiographs of mandibular alveolar bone from a population of patients diagnosed with periodontitis are statistically different from fractal dimensions calculated from another population diagnosed as having gingivitis or healthy gingiva. The fractal dimension was calculated using a public domain fractal analysis program distributed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Fractal dimensions were calculated from digitized clinical radiographs for 29 patients diagnosed with healthy gingiva and/or gingivitis and 32 patients diagnosed with periodontitis and compared. To estimate the reproducibility of the technique, we recalculated the fractal dimension from images of the gingivitis patients 3 months after the original calculations and compared them to the originals. A 2 sample, 2‐tailed Student t test showed the gingivitis data group to be different from the periodontitis data group (P = 0.0012). The original gingivitis and repeat gingivitis groups fractal dimension calculation were the same and analysis showed the two data sets were not significantly different (P = 0.99). We found that: 1) fractal dimensions could be used to distinguish between gingivitis and periodontitis patient groups; 2) fractal dimensions could be calculated from non‐standardized clinical radiographs; and 3) fractal dimensions for gingivitis patients were reproducible over a 3‐month period. J Periodontol 1998;69:9–13.