• International Journal of CAD/CAM
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.121-128
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to clarify the mechanical behavior of human lumbar vertebrae (L3/L4) with and without fusion bone under physiological axial compression. The author has developed the program code to build the patient specific three-dimensional geometric model from the computed tomography (CT) images. The developed three-dimensional model provides the necessary information to the physicians and surgeons to visually interact with the model and if needed, plan the way of surgery in advance. The processed data of the model is versatile and compatible with the commercial computer aided design (CAD), finite element analysis (FEA) software and rapid prototyping technology. The actual physical model is manufactured using rapid prototyping technique to confirm the executable competence of the processed data from the developed program code. The patient specific model of L3/L4 vertebrae is analyzed under compressive loading condition by the FEA approach. By varying the spacer position and fusion bone with and without pedicle instrumentation, simulations were carried out to find the increasing axial stiffness so as to ensure the success of fusion technique. The finding was helpful in positioning the fusion bone graft and to predict the mechanical stress and deformation of body organ indicating the critical section.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.127-134
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• 2022

In order to overcome the image quality limitations of the conventional C-arm, a flat panel detector (FPD) is used to enhance spatial resolution, detective quantum efficiency, frame rate, and dynamic range. Three-dimensional (3D) visualized information can be obtained from C-arm computed tomography (CT) equipped with an FPD, which can reduce patient discomfort and provide various medical information to health care providers by conducting procedures in the interventional procedure room without moving the patient to the CT scan room. Unlike a conventional C-arm device, a C-arm CT requires different basic safety and essential performance evaluation criteria; therefore, in this study, basic safety and essential performance evaluation criteria to protect patients, medical staff, and radiologists were derived based on International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) standards in Korea, and the rules on the installation and operation of special medical equipment in Korea. As a result of the study, six basic safety evaluation criteria related to electrical and mechanical radiation safety (leakage current, collision protection, emergency stopping device, overheating, recovery management, and ingress of water or particulate matter into medical electrical (ME) equipment and ME systems: footswitches) and 14 essential performance evaluation criteria (accuracy of tube voltage, accuracy of tube current, accuracy of loading time, accuracy of current time product, reproducibility of radiation output, linearity and consistency in radiography, half layer value in X-ray equipment, focal size and collimator, relationship between X-ray field and image reception area, consistency of light irradiation versus X-ray irradiation, performance of the mechanical device, focal spot to skin distance accuracy, image quality evaluation, and technical characteristic of cone-beam computed tomography) were selected for a total of 20 criteria.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.98-105
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• 2023

Background: Ultrasound-guided first sacral transforaminal epidural steroid injection (S1 TFESI) is a useful and easily applicable alternative to fluoroscopy or computed tomography (CT) in lumbosacral radiculopathy. When a needle approach is used, poor visualization of the needle tip reduces the accuracy of the procedure, increasing its difficulty. This study aimed to improve ultrasound-guided S1 TFESI by evaluating radiological S1 posterior foramen data obtained using three-dimensional CT (3D-CT). Methods: Axial 3D-CT images of the pelvis were retrospectively analyzed. The radiological measurements obtained from the images included 1st posterior sacral foramen depth (S1D, mm), 1st posterior sacral foramen width (S1W, mm), the angle of the 1st posterior sacral foramen (S1A, °), and 1st posterior sacral foramen distance (S1ds, mm). The relationship between the demographic factors and measured values were then analyzed. Results: A total of 632 patients (287 male and 345 female) were examined. The mean S1D values for males and females were 11.9 ± 1.9 mm and 10.6 ± 1.8 mm, respectively (P < 0.001); the mean S1A 28.2 ± 4.8° and 30.1 ± 4.9°, respectively (P < 0.001); and the mean S1ds, 24.1 ± 2.9 mm and 22.9 ± 2.6 mm, respectively (P < 0.001); however, the mean S1W values were not significantly different. Height was the only significant predictor of S1D (β = 0.318, P = 0.004). Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided S1 TFESI performance and safety may be improved with adjustment of needle insertion depth congruent with the patient's height.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.37
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• pp.30.1-30.7
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• 2015

Background: The inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) may be injured during extraction of the mandibular third molar, causing severe postoperative complications. Many methods have been described for evaluating the relative position between the mandibular third molar and the inferior alveolar canal (IAC) on panoramic radiography and computed tomography, but conventional radiography provides limited information on the proximity of these two structures. The present study assessed the benefits of three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) prior to surgical extraction of the mandibular third molar, to prevent IAN damage. Methods: This retrospective study included 4917 extractions in 3555 patients who presented for extraction of the mandibular third molars. The cases were classified into three groups, according to anatomical relationship between the mandibular third molars and the IAC on panoramic radiography and whether 3D-CT was performed. Symptoms of IAN damage were assessed using the touch-recognition test. Data were compared using the chi-square test and Fisher's exact test. Results: Among the 32 cases of IAN damage, 6 cases were included in group I (0.35 %, n = 1735 cases), 23 cases in group II (1.1 %, n = 2063 cases), and 3 cases in group III (0.27 %, n = 1119 cases). The chi-square test showed a significant difference in the incidence of IAN damage between groups I and II. No significant difference was observed between groups I and III using Fisher's exact test. In the 6 cases of IAN damage in group I, the mandibular third molar roots were located lingual relative to the IAC in 3 cases and middle relative to the IAC in 3 cases. The overlap was ${\geq}2mm$ in 3 of 6 cases and 0-2 mm in the remaining 3 cases. The mean distance between the mandibular third molar and IAC was 2.2 mm, the maximum distance 12 mm, and the minimum distance 0.5 mm. Greater than 80 % recovery was observed in 15 of 32 (46.8 %) cases of IAN damage. Conclusions: 3D-CT may be a useful tool for assessing the three-dimensional anatomical relationship and proximity between the mandibular third molar and IAC in order to prevent IAN damage during extraction of mandibular third molars.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.111-118
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• 2012

Purpose: The nasal bone fracture is known as the most common facial fracture, with the postoperative results and the patient's satisfaction known to be lower than other facial fractures. The patient's satisfaction is firstly related to the accurate comprehension of the spatial relationship in the fractured nasal bone and secondly to the accurate reduction based on accurate comprehension. The aim of this study is to evaluate the objective usefulness of the three-dimensional (3D) imaging. Methods: The survey was conducted on 10 randomly selected cases of nasal bone fractures among the 46 cases with 3D computed tomography (CT) during the past one year. It was requested upon 4 plastic residents and 4 plastic surgeons to draw 3D aspect of fractured nasal bone directly on the printed photos of cadaver nasal bone, based on simple X-ray and two-dimensional (2D) CT. They were compared with the real fractured nasal bone aspects based on the 3D image and marked the difference in the 10-point scale of 0 to 10. Results: The average score of the 4 residents was 1.62 and that of the 4 surgeons was 4.47 out of 10 by simple X-ray. The average score of the 4 residents was 5.67 and that of the 4 surgeons was 7.25 out of 10 by 2D CT. Conclusion: It was surmised that the precise analysis and accurate comprehension of the spatial relationship of the fractured nasal bone using the 3D image, as based on the 2D CT images, can produce more favorable satisfaction levels in the patients.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.490-494
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• 2009

A 2-year-old Maltese and a 5-month-old Yorkshire terrier were presented with ataxia. Tetraparesis was observed in a 9-year -old Yorkshire terrier. The localizations of the lesions suggested brain or cervical spinal cord by the neurological examination, and the following images was achieved: radiography, axial images of computed tomography (CT), reconstruction image of CT such as multi-planar reformation(MPR) and 3-dimensional(3D) reconstruction and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). On radiography, the misalignment between atlas (C1) and axis (C2), absent dens of axis, and increased space between the dorsal arch of C1 and spinous process of C2 were found. The discontinuation between dens and body of C2 was identified through axial CT images, and the fragmentation of dens separated from axis was observed through MPR and 3D image in all case. The hyperintense lesions and the spinal cord compression on T2-weighted MR images were represented in a dog with tetraparesis, the others represented only spinal cord compression. Three dogs were diagnosed as atlantoaxial instability (AAI) by dens fracture of C2. The dog with tetraparesis was euthanized due to guarded prognosis. The others were recovered completely. It is difficult to differentiate dens fracture of C2 from abnormal dens such as agenesis and hypoplasia. We thought that CT is very useful to evaluate the dens of C2 and differentiate the causes of AAI, and the reconstruction images of CT such as MPR and 3D make the translation of the fragmented dens or axis of AAI more precisely evaluate.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.8
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• pp.17-28
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• 2023

Laboratory-scale hydraulic fracturing experiments were conducted on granite specimens at various viscosities and injection rates of the fracturing fluid. A series of cross-sectional computed tomography (CT) images of fractured specimens was obtained via a three-dimensional X-ray CT imaging method. Pixel-level fracture segmentation of the CT images was conducted using a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based Nested U-Net model structure. Compared with traditional image processing methods, the CNN-based model showed a better performance in the extraction of thin and complex fractures. These extracted fractures extracted were reconstructed in three dimensions and morphologically analyzed based on their fracture volume, aperture, tortuosity, and surface roughness. The fracture volume and aperture increased with the increase in viscosity of the fracturing fluid, while the tortuosity and roughness of the fracture surface decreased. The findings also confirmed the anisotropic tortuosity and roughness of the fracture surface. In this study, a CNN-based model was used to perform accurate fracture segmentation, and quantitative analysis of hydraulic stimulated fractures was conducted successfully.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.171-178
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• 2003

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report the reproducibility of intra-observer and inter-observer consistency of cephalometric measurements using three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT), and the degree of difference of the cephalometric measurements. Materials and Methods: CT images of 16 adult patients with normal class I occlusion were sent to personal computer and reconstructed into 3D images using V-Works 3.5/sup TM/(Cybermed Inc., Seoul, Korea). With the internal program of V-Works 3.5/sup TM/, 12 landmarks on regular cephalograms were transformed into 21 analytic categories and measured by 2 observers and in addition, one of the observers repeated their measurements. Intra-observer difference was calculated using paired t-test, and inter-observer by two sample test. Results: There were significant differences in the intra-observer measurements (p < 0.05) in four of the categories which included ANS-Me, ANS-PNS, Cdl-Go (Lt), GoL-GoR, but with the exception of Cdl-Go (Lt), ZmL-ZmR, Zyo-Zyo, the average differences were within 2 mm of each other. The inter-observer observations also showed significant differences in the measurements of the ZmL-ZmR and Zyo-Zyo categories (p < 0.05). With the exception of the Cdl-Me (Rt), ZmL-ZmR, Zyo-Zyo categories, the average differences between the two observers were within 2 mm, but the ZmL-ZmR and Zyo-Zyo values differed greatly with values of 8.10 and 19.8 mm respectively. Conclusion: In general, 3D CT images showed greater accuracy and reproducibility, with the exception of suture areas such as Zm and Zyo, than regular cephalograms in orthodontic measurements, showing differences of less than 2 mm, therefore 3D CT images can be useful in cephalometric measurements and treatment planning.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.254-263
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• 2023

Background The three-dimensional (3D) evaluation of skeletal stability after orthognathic surgery is a time-consuming and complex procedure. The complexity increases further when evaluating the surgery-first orthognathic approach (SFOA). Herein, we propose and validate a simple time-saving method of 3D analysis using a single software, demonstrating high accuracy and repeatability. Methods This retrospective cohort study included 12 patients with skeletal class 3 malocclusion who underwent bimaxillary surgery without any presurgical orthodontics. Computed tomography (CT)/cone-beam CT images of each patient were obtained at three different time points (preoperation [T0], immediately postoperation [T1], and 1 year after surgery [T2]) and reconstructed into 3D images. After automatic surface-based alignment of the three models based on the anterior cranial base, five easily located anatomical landmarks were defined to each model. A set of angular and linear measurements were automatically calculated and used to define the amount of movement (T1-T0) and the amount of relapse (T2-T1). To evaluate the reproducibility, two independent observers processed all the cases, One of them repeated the steps after 2 weeks to assess intraobserver variability. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated at a 95% confidence interval. Time required for evaluating each case was recorded. Results Both the intra- and interobserver variability showed high ICC values (more than 0.95) with low measurement variations (mean linear variations: 0.18 mm; mean angular variations: 0.25 degree). Time needed for the evaluation process ranged from 3 to 5 minutes. Conclusion This approach is time-saving, semiautomatic, and easy to learn and can be used to effectively evaluate stability after SFOA.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2019

Background: After closed reduction, patients are sometimes concerned that their external nasal shapes have changed. The aim of this study was to investigate and explain changes in nasal shape after surgery through objective photogrammetric anthropometry measurements taken through three-dimensional (3D) reformed computed tomography (CT) images. Methods: Our study included 100 Korean patients who underwent closed reduction of isolated nasal bone fracture from January 2016 to June 2017. Using the ruler tool in Adobe Photoshop CS3, we measured preoperative and postoperative nasal base heights, long nostril axis lengths, both nasal alar angles, and amount of nasal deviation through the 3D reformation of soft tissue via CT scans. We then compared the dimension of nose. Results: The amount of postoperative correction for nasal base height was 1.192 mm. The differences in nostril length between each side were found to be 0.333 mm preoperatively and 0.323 mm postoperatively. The differences in the nasal alar angle between each side was $1.382^{\circ}$ preoperatively and $1.043^{\circ}$ postoperatively. The amount of nasal deviation was found to be 5.248 mm preoperatively and 1.024 mm in postoperatively. Conclusion: After the reduction of nasal bone fractures, changes in nasal dimensions were noticeable in terms of nasal deviation but less significant in nasal tips, except for changes in nasal alar angles, which were notable.