Three Dimensional Spiral CT Imaging of the Musculoskeletal System: Application and Advantages

Clinical applications of spiral computed tomography (CT) have increased extensively over the past decade and continue to widen rapidly. The introduction of three-dimensional(3-D) reconstruction in CT technology has revolutionized medical imaging. This advancement has been possible due to the combination of spiral computed tomography and various 3-D reconstruction protocols which have permitted rapid and comprehensive examination of all regions of the body. It has unequivocal advantages in the preoperative planning of craniofacial surgery, assessment of complex fractures of the skeletal system especially pelvis and in the surgical treatment of dysplastic hips in children.

3-D spiral CT imaging of various parts of the musculoskeletal system was carried out in 60 cases using available protocols, at the CT scan center of a large tertiary care service hospital.

The study provided a new approach in the analysis of complex anatomic relationships of the musculoskeletal system. Therapeutic planning whether surgical or medical was to a great extent aided by the anatomic information available from these images.

3-D CT imaging is a rapid, non-invasive and accurate technique for diagnosis, pre-operative evaluation as well as post-operative assessment of a large number of musculoskeletal diseases. 3-D CT studies have come to stay and with continued improvement in CT technology it has now become an integral part of imaging studies of the musculoskeletal system.