Development of a visual 3-D maxillofacial model for combined hard and soft tissue images in patients with jaw deformities.

The purpose of this study was to develop a 3 -D model for the evaluation of patients with jaw deformity by combining the maxillofacial skeleton and soft tissue. A laserbased apparatus waa used to acquire a 3 -D image of the facial appearance. This image was then combined with a 3-D skeletal image created from conventional cephalometric radiographs to produce a computer-generated model.This system includes three processes:1) Aquisition of a 3 -D image of facial appearance2) Reconstruction of the 3 -D facial skeleton image from cephalometric radiographs3) Composition of the 3 -D images of soft and hard tissue This 3 -D compound model can assist surgeons in planning surgery and provide graphic information to the patient.