Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate in vitro the accuracy of three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure the mandible.
Study design: The optimal MRI sequence for 3D mandible from the data of 2 volunteers was determined to be 3D vibe. MRI and computed tomography (CT) scans of tube, mandible, and hemimandible phantoms were obtained. MRI with 3D vibe and standard parameters used in clinical practice for 3D reconstructions of jawbones on CT were used. Pearson's correlation coefficient, standard deviation (SD), and accuracy in measurement on reconstructed 3D MRI and CT were compared to direct osteometric measurement of the phantoms.
Results: The correlation coefficient between MRI and direct osteometry was high, with r = 0.85 to 0.99 (P < .001). The difference ranged from -1.5 to 0.7 mm (-8.9%-11.1%) on smaller distances, which is important for orthognathic surgery. The accuracy of MRI was similar to that of CT.
Conclusion: 3D vibe MRI provided adequate dimensional accuracy and image quality during in vitro examination of the mandible.