Assessment of cortical bone microdamage following insertion of microimplants using optical coherence tomography: a preliminary study

Objectives: The study was done to evaluate the efficacy of optical coherence tomography (OCT), to detect and analyze the microdamage occurring around the microimplant immediately following its placement, and to compare the findings with micro-computed tomography (μCT) images of the samples to validate the result of the present study. Methods: Microimplants were inserted into bovine bone samples. Images of the samples were obtained using OCT and μCT. Visual comparisons of the images were made to evaluate whether anatomical details and microdamage induced by microimplant insertion were accurately revealed by OCT. Results: The surface of the cortical bone with its anatomical variations is visualized on the OCT images. Microdamage occurring on the surface of the cortical bone around the microimplant can be appreciated in OCT images. The resulting OCT images were compared with the μCT images. A high correlation regarding the visualization of individual microcracks was observed. The depth penetration of OCT is limited when compared to μCT. Conclusions: OCT in the present study was able to generate high-resolution images of the microdamage occurring around the microimplant. Image quality at the surface of the cortical bone is above par when compared with μCT imaging, because of the inherent high contrast and high-resolution quality of OCT systems. Improvements in the imaging depth and development of intraoral sensors are vital for developing a real-time imaging system and integrating the system into orthodontic practice.