Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
48th Annual Conference of the European Prosthodontic Association (EPA) , Nevşehir, Türkiye, 11 - 13 Eylül 2025, ss.88, (Özet Bildiri)
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the changes in mandibular trabecular bone using fractal analysis in patients using implant-supported overdenture prostheses with two different attachment types. MATERIALS-METHODS: The study consists of a total of 16 patients treated at Erciyes University Faculty of Dentistry, 9 of whom used locator attachments and 7 used ball attachments for their implant-supported overdenture prostheses. In this study, panoramic radiographs taken for treatment and followup purposes were selected from the archive and evaluated retrospectively. Radiographs taken after implant surgery and before prosthesis placement, and radiographs taken after a minimum of two years of prosthesis use were evaluated. On panoramic radiographs, three regions of interest were selected for each implant: mesial, distal, and apical areas. Fractal analysis was performed using the box-counting algorithm. The mean values of the mesial, distal, and apical surfaces were calculated. The normal distribution of the data was assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test, and a normal distribution was observed. Data were analyzed using dependent and independent sample t-tests. RESULTS: Fractal analysis is a mathematical method used to examine complex geometrical structures. Bone tissue, especially trabecular bone, has a fractal structure. Therefore, fractal analysis is an effective tool for evaluating bone architecture. According to the results of the dependent sample t-test performed at the end of the study, no statistically significant difference was found between the regions in terms of bone density over time (p > 0.05). However, when the groups before and after prosthesis placement were evaluated within themselves, a statistically significant difference was found in the mandibular cortical width value in the locator attachment type (p = 0.041). CONCLUSION: In patients using overdenture prostheses, fractal dimension and mandibular cortical width values may be useful for quantitatively and objectively evaluating bone changes caused by different attachment types.
Keywords: Fractal, Overdenture, Locator, Ball, Attachment