In Le Fort I osteotomy, the maxillary bone is completely separated from the midface. 2, 6, 7 Thus, the null hypothesis was rejected. The results showed a statistically significant reduction in most measurements of the MS (volume, area, height, width) after surgery in both groups, similar to previous studies. For more detailed analysis, the PAS was divided into upper ( Figure 6A) and lower ( Figure 6B) segments by a line connecting the most posteroinferior point of the soft palate to the lowest point of the second cervical vertebra. The MAA (mm 2) was the smallest cross-sectional area of any predefined PAS, that is, the area of greatest PAS constriction. When measuring the total volume, the tool option that automatically delivered the minimum axial area (MAA) within the predetermined PAS was selected ( Figure 6C). 10 For the volume of PAS, the upper limit was a line connecting PNS to basion point the lower limit, a line from the lowest point of the epiglottis to the most anteroinferior point of the third cervical vertebra the posterior border, the posterior PAS wall and the anterior border, the anterior PAS wall 8, 10 ( Figure 6C). The threshold was standardized at a value of 41 ± 2. The seed-points tool was used to select the area of interest. 10 In sagittal reconstruction, the sella turcica (S) point at T 0 was used as a reference to draw the horizontal reference line (HRL) parallel to FH, and the vertical reference line (VRL) perpendicular to FH.įor the volume (mm 3) of MS ( Figure 5A–C) and PAS ( Figure 6A–C), the Dolphin sinus/airway tool was used to delimit the structures of MS and PAS in the three reconstructions. 10 In cases of asymmetry, orientation was performed so that these planes were as close as possible to the original orientation planes. To transfer CBCT images to the virtual workspace within Dolphin, the Frankfort horizontal plane (FH) of each head reconstruction was positioned to coincide with the software's axial plane, while the facial midline was coincident with the midsagittal plane, which in its turn was perpendicular to FH and included the nasion point. Two calibrated examiners analyzed 10 random CBCTs that were measured twice with an interval of 15 days.
#DOLPHIN IMAGING SUPPORT JAW SURGERY SOFTWARE#
2, 10, 13 The CBCT image files were exported in DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine) format into Dolphin Imaging software version 11.95 (Dolphin Imaging & Management Solutions, Chatsworth, Calif). According to a standard protocol, patients remained seated during scanning and were instructed to adopt the natural head position 6, 8, 10 with the tongue and lips at rest, 10, 20 breathing lightly and without swallowing. The volumes were acquired with 0.300 mm voxel size, 17 × 23 cm field of view, tube voltage of 120 kVp, and tube current of 3–-8 mA. The CBCT scans were performed up to 1 month preoperatively (T 0) and 6 1 to 8 8,20 months postoperatively (T 1) with the i-CAT Next Generation (Imaging Sciences International, Hatfield, Pa) equipment by a single radiologist.