Diagnostic value of dental cone beams computed tomography using low-dose radiation technique for diagnosis of wrist fractures

Abstract

Background: Utilizing dental cone beam computed tomography (DCBCT) in wrist bone fracture diagnosis is relatively new. This study investigated the diagnostic value of DCBCT using a low-dose radiation technique for wrist fractures. Materials and Methods: This study compared dental CBCT (DCBCT) with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and extremity CBCT in terms of radiation dose, using the doselength product (DLP) as the primary comparison metric. Twenty-nine adult patients presenting with various wrist injuries underwent imaging with different parameters using DCBCT. Image quality was independently assessed by two radiologists using a 5- point Likert scale. Results: DCBCT demonstrated a significantly lower radiation dose than MDCT, though slightly higher than extremity CBCT. The optimized DCBCT protocol (70 kV, 2 mAs, 15 seconds) provided high diagnostic image quality, with an interrater agreement of 85.4%. Conclusion: DCBCT offers an effective, lower-radiation alternative for diagnosing wrist fractures compared to MDCT. Optimized protocols provide good image quality and could be cost-effective, particularly in regions where extremity CBCT is unavailable.