Abstract
Context:
This retrospective investigation compared mandibular trabecular architecture on panoramic radiographs between hyperlipidemic adults who had used atorvastatin for at least 12 months and age- and sex-matched hyperlipidemic adults with no previous statin treatment. Trabecular complexity was assessed using fractal dimension (FD) analysis.
Settings and Design:
A total of 240 hyperlipidemic participants were included, comprising 120 individuals treated with atorvastatin for at least 1 year and 120 age- and sex-matched participants with no previous statin use.
Materials and Methods:
FD measurements were obtained with ImageJ using the box-counting approach in four mandibular regions: the condyle, angulus, posterior mandible, and anterior mandible.
Statistical Analysis Used:
Between-group and related comparisons were examined with the Mann–Whitney U and Wilcoxon tests, and associations were assessed by Spearman correlation. The significance threshold was
P
Results:
Mean FD values were numerically higher in the atorvastatin-treated group across all evaluated regions. However, after Bonferroni correction, only the difference in the mandibular angle remained statistically significant (
P
= 0.011; adjusted
P
= 0.044). A moderate positive correlation was identified between the mandibular angle and condyle (
r
= 0.449,
P
Conclusion:
Although FD values tended to be higher among participants receiving atorvastatin therapy, statistical significance was confined to the mandibular angle, where the absolute difference was small. Therefore, long-term atorvastatin use may be associated with a subtle, site-specific radiographic variation in mandibular trabecular architecture among individuals with hyperlipidemia.