title: Accuracy of linear measurements from cone-beam computed tomography-derived surface models of different voxel sizes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aims of this study were to determine the linear accuracy of 3-dimensional surface models derived from a commercially available cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) dental imaging system and volumetric rendering software and to investigate the influence of voxel resolution on the linear accuracy of CBCT surface models.
  
  
  METHODS
  Glass sphere markers were fixed on 10 dry mandibles. The mandibles were scanned with 0.40 and 0.25 voxel size resolutions in 3 sessions. Anatomic truth was established with 6 direct digital caliper measurements. The surface models were rendered by a volumetric rendering program, and the CBCT measurements were established as the mean of the 3 measurements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The intraclass correlation coefficients between the physical measurements and the measurements of the CBCT images of 0.40 and 0.25 voxels were all more than 0.99. All CBCT measurements were accurate. There was no difference between the accuracy of the measurements between the 0.40 and 0.25 voxel size groups. The smallest detectable differences of the CBCT measurements were minimal, confirming the accuracy of the CBCT measurement procedure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The measurements on 3-dimensional surface models of 0.25 and 0.40 voxel size data sets made with the 3D eXam CBCT scanner (KaVo Dental GmbH, Bismarckring, Germany) and SimPlant Ortho Pro software (version 2.00, Materialise Dental, Leuven, Belgium) are accurate compared with direct caliper measurements. An increased voxel resolution did not result in greater accuracy of the surface model measurments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 30.001, Groningen, 9700 RB, The Netherlands. j.damstra@dmo.umcg.nl
authors.forename: Janalt
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Damstra
authors.forename: Zacharias
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fourie
authors.forename: James J R
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Huddleston Slater
authors.forename: Yijin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002102:Cadaver; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003765:Models, Dental; D019252:Radiography, Dental, Digital / Q000379:methods*; D012016:Reference Values; D012984:Software