Radiographic diagnosis of root fractures: a systematic review, meta-analyses and sources of heterogeneity

Objectives:Many studies to evaluate the accuracy of root fracture diagnosis have been conducted. However, there is a scarcity of studies to assess the quality and the sources of heterogeneity in the literature. For this reason, the aim of this study was to conduct systematic reviews and meta-analyses to summarize the available evidence on detection of root fractures by cone beam CT (CBCT) and periapical radiograph (PR) images and the interference of artefact by investigating possible sources of heterogeneity. Methods:Studies reporting root fracture detection, from January 2010 to February 2016, were selected. All selected studies were subjected to selection criteria and then, comparative and qualitative analyses by using the quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies (QUADAS-2) tool were performed. Pooled sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic odds ratios were calculated. Also, receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curves were built to summarize the results. SROC curve analyses were performed to...