Researchers from Fatebenefratelli-Sacco Hospital in Milan have developed a new method to help clinicians plan the surgical reconstruction of zygomatic fractures.
Determining the precise contour of the face of a patient with a cheekbone fracture is essential to symmetrical facial reconstruction, yet conventional techniques depend on 2D imaging data that offer a limited view of key anatomical landmarks, presenter Dr. Michaela Cellina told AuntMinnie.com.
Proposing a new approach to presurgical planning for the operation, Cellina and colleagues acquired the CT scans of 100 patients who required reconstructive maxillofacial surgery and then converted the scans into 3D models using semiautomated computer software. The software mirrored and registered the left and right cheekbones for easier visualization.
The 3D models enabled clinicians to assess the entire surface of both the left and right cheekbones quickly and with minimal observer errors. In addition, the researchers found no statistically significant difference between the assessments of male and female cheekbones using the new 3D CT technique.
"This technique allows for obtaining a 3D graphic representation of the constant and variable areas between the two sides [of the cheekbone] and is useful in planning a successful reconstructive surgical intervention," Cellina said. "It is not only feasible but also highly repeatable, affected by very low intra- and interobserver errors, and easy to apply on each maxillofacial CT scan."
