title: Cross-sectional tomography in evaluation of patients undergoing sagittal split osteotomy.
abstract: A study was performed to evaluate the possibility of locating the mandibular canal before sagittal split osteotomy by cross-sectional spiral tomography in 55 patients. Visibility of the whole canal wall circumference was excellent or good in 65.5% fair in 18.2%, and poor in 12.7% of cases. Only four canals (3.6%) were invisible. The canal was located lingually in 61 cases, buccally in 9 cases, and centrally in 34 cases. In patients with mandibular protrusion, the mean (+/- SD) buccolingual width was significantly smaller (9.5 +/- 1.51 mm vs 10.4 +/- 1.46 mm, P < .01) and the mandibular canal was more often buccally located than in patients with retrognathia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hallikainen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iizuka
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lindqvist
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000379:methods*; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011378:Prognathism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D063173:Retrognathia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014056:Tomography, X-Ray