DOI: 10.36347/sjds.2019.v06i01.004

Pages: 10-18

Maxillofacial trauma usually presents in the Emergency Department (Casualty) as either an isolated injury or as a part of polytrauma. Due to the evolution of more effective emergency transportation facilities and advanced life support, even patients that are severely injured survive to reach specialized trauma centres which are increasing successful in rescuing patients. Objective: The purpose of our study was to describe the advantages of three-dimensional (3D) reconstructed images over axial images in the imaging of patients with facial fractures and to describe and compare the detection of fractures in the axial and coronal planes.
Materials and Methods: The study population included 30 patients who underwent 3D-CT evaluation of facial bones when they presented with evidence of fracture of maxillofacial bones to the casualty and Department of Dentistry at Indian Institute of Medical Science and Research. Evaluates various fractures involving the facial bones that were detected in these patients. MDCT evaluation is done only on patients who satisfy the inclusion criteria and only after getting their consent. All the 3D-CT scans in this study were performed using 6-Slice CT scanner (Siemens Somatom Emot-6). 3D images were compared with axial images and assessed under the headings – fracture detection, extent of fracture and displacement. Coronal images were compared with axial images for detection of fractures. Results: In this study group which comprised of a total number of 30 patients, the age at presentation ranged from <20 to >61 yrs. The NOE, Maxilla and Mandible was noted to be the most commonly involve bone with 23.3% of patients having a fracture in this bone. Zygomatic bone region was the next commonly affected region with fractures detected in 20% of patients. Frontal bone fractures were less common in the five regions of the face studied with 10% of patients detected to have fractures in that region. Conclusion: The advantages of 3D images in the assess