[Conventional radiology and computed tomography in facial fractures]

The possibilities and limitations of conventional radiography and CT in detecting maxillo-facial fractures are shown both experimentally and in a clinical setting. In 36 patients examined by both methods after maxillo-facial trauma, CT and conventional radiography (including pluridirectional tomography) proved to be equal in detecting fractures of the orbital roof, the anterior wall of the frontal sinus, the nasal bone and the pterygoid process. CT is inferior to conventional radiography in fracture of the orbital floor, the frontal base of the skull, the hard plate and the zygomatic arch. CT is superior to conventional radiography in fractures of the medial and lateral wall of the orbit, the posterior wall of the frontal sinus, the posterior, medial and anterior wall of the maxillary sinus as well as the zygomatic bone.