[Capabilities of current tomographic technologies in the diagnosis of midfacial injuries and posttraumatic deformities].

OBJECTIVE

To study the diagnostic capabilities of cone-beam and multislice spiral computed tomography (CT) in patients with midfacial injuries and posttraumatic deformities.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

Fifty patients with midfacial injuries sustained in different periods underwent clinical and radiation examination involving an analysis of the bone and soft tissue structural images obtained with multispiral and cone-beam CT techniques, by applying maximally informative studies protocols.

RESULTS

Cone-beam and multislice spiral CT showed the same informative value in detecting bone traumatic changes and a low informative one in identifying comorbidity.

CONCLUSION

The findings permit one to recommend cone-beam CT for diagnosis and preoperative planning in patients with midfacial injury and posttraumatic deformities only when multislice spiral CT cannot be performed.