A Comparison of 3 Quantitative Radiographic Measurement Methods for Root Development Measurement in Regenerative Endodontic Procedures

Introduction: The outcomes of an immature tooth with necrotic pulp treated with regenerative endodontic procedures (REPs) were assessed clinically and radiographically. Root maturation is an important outcome of REPs, and several radiographic measurement methods have been used to measure this. The aim of this study was to compare radiographic measurement methods, measuring root maturation in immature teeth with necrotic pulp treated with REPs.

Methods: Seventy-one radiographic images of REP cases were measured and compared using 3 radiographic measurement methods described by Bose et al (2009), Alobaid et al (2014), and Flake et al (2014). The intraclass correlation coefficient values were evaluated using the intra- and interobserver reliability test and the effect of the stage of root development.

Results: The intra- and interobserver reliability for Alobaid et al's method and Flake et al's method were slightly higher than Bose et al's method as quantified by the intraclass correlation coefficient without a significant difference (P > .05). The stage of root development did not affect the reliability of the measurement methods. A high level of agreement was found among the 3 stages of root development for all 3 quantitative radiographic measurement methods.

Conclusions: All 3 quantitative radiographic measurement methods exhibited high agreement regarding reliability. The stage of root development did not have an impact on the reliability of the measurement methods.