Imaging of the midpalatal suture in a porcine model: Flat-panel volume computed tomography compared with multislice computed tomography

Objective. An investigation was conducted to compare the image quality of prototype flat-panel volume computed tomography (fpVCT) and multislice computed tomography (MSCT) of suture structures. Study design. Bone samples were taken from the midpalatal suture of 5 young (16 weeks) and 5 old (200 weeks) Sus scrofa domestica and fixed in formalin solution. An fpVCT prototype and an MSCT were used to obtain images of the specimens. The facial reformations were assessed by 4 observers using a 1 (excellent) to 5 (poor) rating scale for the weighted criteria visualization of the suture structure. A linear mixed model was used for statistical analysis. Results with P < .05 were considered to be statistically significant. Results. The visualization of the suture of young specimens was significantly better than that of older animals (P < .001). The visualization of the suture with fpVCT was significantly better than that with MSCT (P < .001). Conclusion. Compared with MSCT, fpVCT produces superior results in the visualization of the midpalatal suture in a Sus scrofa domestica model. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2009; 108: 443-449)