Computerized imaging for soft tissue and osseous reconstruction in the head and neck.

Recent developments in computer-aided medical imaging coupled with the related emergence of computer-aided design and manufacturing technology have had a significant effect on our management of patients with congenital and acquired head and neck deformities. In our institution, plain film skull radiography, cephalometry, and pluridirectional tomography have been largely replaced by high-resolution CT scanning augmented by planar reformations and three-dimensional surface reconstructions. A sophisticated computer-assisted radiologic imaging unit has been established to assist the surgeon and researcher. This marriage of advanced radiographic techniques, industrial computer-aided design technology, and clinical surgery have allowed us to better define aberrant anatomy, design new operative solutions for familiar as well as unusual problems, and quantitate changes of surgery and growth over time.