The Three-dimensional Reconstruction On The Position Relationship Between The Mandibular Canal And The Mandible By Head Spiral CT Scanning

Objective:Mandible is an important part of the craniofacial skeleton, and the operation on them accounts for a large proportion in maxillofacial surgery. Mandibular canals are the most important parts in the mandible surgery, through which the inferior alveolar nerves and blood vessels pass. The inferior alveolar nerves and bloods are usually damaged in the mandible surgery, which often results in some serious complications. In this study, we make the three-dimensional reconstruction on the position relationship between the mandibular canal and the mandible and measure the distances among the mandibular canal and many parts of the mandible by head Spiral CT scanning and three-dimensional reconstruction workstation, which will provide the scientific date for the mandible surgery.Methods:Choosing 38 volunteers, who are all han nationality, 26-32-year-old,19 man and 19 women, no facial deformity and no history of surgery. Scanning the heads of the 38 volunteers in different levels continuously. Importing the original date into the computer workstation to reconstruct the mandible and measuring the distances among the mandibular canal and the different parts of the mandible, and then analyzing the date measured by the SPSS 11.5 statistics software.Results:38 images scanned and measured by the head spiral CT and three-dimensional reconstruction workstation meet the studying requirements in quality. The results show that the general course trend of the mandibular canal is slightly close to the lingual side, and nearly parallel with the inferior margin of mandible in the area of the second and the third molar. Then it biases to the buccal side in the first molar, second premolar area and moves along the bone plate of buccal side. Finally it comes out of the foramina mentale in the level of the second premolar.Conclusions:Spiral CT scanning on the head can achieve three-dimensional reconstruction of the positional relationship between the mandible and the mandibular canal. It can clearly show the configuration of the mandible and the mandibular canal and the course of the mandibular canal and the neighbor relationship between the mandible and the mandibular canal in sagittal and coronal plane. The distances from the mandibular canal to bone plates of lingual and buccal side and to the low edges of the mandible and inferior alveolar can be clearly measured. The studying results can provide scientific anatomic data for the clinical operation on mandible and avoid effectively the damages to the inferior alveolar nerves and bloods.