Computed tomography in the preoperative planning of oral endo-osseous implant surgery

Computed tomography (CT) is a well-established aid in the preoperative assessment of the dimension of mandible and maxilla for endo-osseous implant installation. CT is a valuable tool for the measurement of the alveolar ridge and recognition of the course of the inferior alveolar nerve canal. In the present study, three different techniques were examined: normal CT images with coronal and sagittal slices, standard reconstructions based on axial slices, and multiplanar reconstruction and display (MPR/MPD), also based on axial slices. Six dissected human jaw bones were examined with these three techniques. Afterwards, these jaws were sawn, and the real values were measured. Comparing these scores with the radiological measurements, the standard reconstruction technique seemed the most reliable method in the preoperative examination of the jaw bone quality and bone proportion.