ABSTRACT
Background: Panoramic Mandibular Index (PMI) is a quantitative radiomorphometric index of the mandible. It is an important indicator of mandibular bone mineral density. Objectives: To examine the age and gender related variations associated with the panoramic mandibular index and their effect in a group of North-Indian population of Haryana. Methods: 60 adult human orthopantomographs were evaluated and divided into six age groups (35-65 years) with equal number of males and females. Panoramic mandibular index was measured bilaterally on every radiograph. The measurements were analyzed for interactions with age and sex, using SPSS (Stastistical Package for Social Studies) software version no. 18. The tests employed were Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney and the unpaired T-test. Results: The male mean panoramic mandibular index values ranged from 0.3 ± 0.025 to 0.381 ± 0.019, whereas the female mean panoramic mandibular values ranged from 0.286 ± 0.306 to 0.36 ± 0.007. Panoramic mandibular index showed significant negative correlation with age in both the sexes. Inter-age group comparisons showed statistically significant differences between the youngest and eldest age-groups in both the genders. Female values were lower than male values in all age groups, but sexual dimorphism was not observed. Conclusion: Panoramic mandibular index was influenced significantly by the variations in age but minimally by the gender related variations.