J Oral Maxillofac Surg
67:515-521, 2009
Intraoperative Cone-Beam Computed
Tomography in Oral and Maxillofacial
Surgery Using a C-Arm Prototype: First
Clinical Experiences After Treatment of
Zygomaticomaxillary Complex Fractures
Philipp Pohlenz, MD, DMD,* Felix Blake, MD, DMD,†
Marco Blessmann, MD, DMD,‡ Ralf Smeets, MD, DMD,§
Christian Habermann, MD,¶ Philipp Begemann, MD,
Rainer Schmelzle, MD, DMD, PhD,# and
Max Heiland, MD, DMD, PhD**
Purpose: To describe the first clinical applications of intraoperative cone-beam computed tomography
with an integrated flat-panel detector in oral and maxillofacial surgery after surgical treatment of
zygomaticomaxillary complex fractures
Patients and Methods: Nine cone-beam computed tomography datasets of patients with zygomatico-
maxillary complex fractures were intraoperatively acquired using a mobile isocentric C-arm (PowerMo-
bil; Siemens Medical Solutions, Erlangen, Germany), including a flat-panel detector. Datasets based on
400, 200, and 100 fluoroscopic images were performed with different tube currents (4.6 mA, 3.3 mA, 2.3
mA, 1.2 mA, and 0.5 mA) and a current tube voltage of 100 kV. Postprocessing resulted in 15 different
datasets available for comparison with corresponding preoperative computed tomography datasets. Four
oral and maxillofacial surgeons and 2 experienced radiologists evaluated each dataset regarding noise,
transition, and the delimitation of landmarks.
Results: All examinations were successfully performed. Reconstructed datasets showed high-resolution
images of all midfacial osseous structures in near-computed tomography quality. Regarding high-contrast
structures, detailed analyses of datasets acquired in this study suggest that the parameters 400 projections, 1.2
mA, and 100 kV are sufficient. In terms of soft-tissue visualization, a higher level of mA seems preferable.
Conclusions: The tested prototype predicts a new era in cone-beam computed tomography imaging. The
integration of a flat-panel detector will overcome the limitations of current available systems. The size of the
field of view is increased allowing regularly the visualization of the whole facial skeleton. Particularly in cases
of open reduction of unilateral fractures, the assessment of symmetry is of clinical value.
© 2009 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
J Oral Maxillofac Surg 67:515-521, 2009
*Senior Resident, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery,
University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
†Senior Resident, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery,
University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
‡Senior Resident, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery,
University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
§Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hos-
pital Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
¶Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Univer-
sity Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Univer-
sity Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
#Associate Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery,
University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
**Professor and Head, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery,
University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
M.H. received grant support from Siemens Medical Solutions
(Erlangen, Germany).
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Pohlenz:
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nordwestdeutsche
Kieferklinik, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Mar-
tinistrasse 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany; e-mail: ppohlenz@
uke.uni-hamburg.de
© 2009 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
0278-2391/09/6703-0008$36.00/0
doi:10.1016/j.joms.2008.06.086
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