Abstract
Recently, excellent three-dimensional (3-D) images can be quickly and easily obtained using helical scan CT, a procedure of continuous scanning CT to acquire volume data. 3-D CT imaging was applied to 66 surgical cases of facial fractures and it was helpful not only to evaluate facial fractures, but also to plan operations except for in cases of blowout fractures.
The quality of 3-D CT image depended on the slice thickness and on the slice interval at CT scanning, and we also found that the threshold value of CT number at which 3-D images were reconstructed influenced the quality of the 3-D imaging.
However, 3-D imaging does not necessarily provide additional new information if two-dimensional (2-D) CT scans have been performed, and 2-D CT images also provide superior fracture details. Thus, based on our clinical experiences we suggest that 2-D CT image and 3-D image reconstructions are complementary procedures.
