Morphology and spatial distribution of cortical bone canals: Evaluation of shape parameters, lacunarity, and fractal dimension in the human irradiated mandible.

This study aimed to assess the spatial distribution of cortical bone canals' network through the analysis of lacunarity (Lac), fractal dimension (FD), and canal morphological parameters in the mandible (IR group, n = 7) of human patients under radiotherapy in comparison with non-irradiated younger (yC group, n = 8) and older (oC group, n = 8) individuals. Patients who underwent mandibular surgery were selected to have bone fragments removed during surgery, and undecalcified histological slides were analyzed by phase-contrast microscopy by two operators. The following morphological parameters were assessed in the Haversian canal (Ca): area (Ca·Ar, μm), perimeter (Ca·Pm, μm), and circularity (Ca.