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Objective: To study the stability and reliability of the first 3-D laser cranio-maxillofacial reconstruction system in China. Materials and Methods: The same 3-D laser scan image of a plaster model of a head was measured twice, 3 weeks apart. The head cast was also scanned and reconstructed twice, 3 weeks apart, and the 3-D images were measured. For the same head case we compared the laser measurements with direct manual measurements. The statistical analysis of measurements was made using the paired t-test. Results: There was no significant difference between the 2 sets of measurements of the same image (P > 0.05). The difference in measurements of the 2 reconstructed images of the same model was not significant (P > 0.05). There was also no significant difference between the measurements by laser and by vernier caliper (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The authors consider the 3-D laser scan image to be reliable. The laser scanning system is stable and may be used in preliminary clinical studies.
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