Accuracy of in vitro mandibular volumetric measurements from CBCT of different voxel sizes with different segmentation threshold settings

Background To determine the accuracy of volumetric measurements of the mandible in vitro by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to analyze the influence of voxel sizes and segmentation threshold settings on it. Methods The samples were obtained from pig mandibles and scanned with 4 voxel sizes: .125 mm, .20 mm, .30 mm, and .40 mm. The minimum segmentation thresholds in Hounsfield units (HU) were set as 0, 100, 200, 300, and 400, respectively, for each voxel size for 3D reconstruction. Laser scanning as the reference, the volumes of each CBCT scanning, the mean iterative distances of superimposition and total positive and negative deviations were recorded and compared. Results The volumes of CBCT-scan deviated from those of laser-scan by + 7.67% to − 3.05% with different HU and voxel sizes. The deviation increased with the voxel size. There was a more suitable minimum HU threshold of segmentation (HU100 for .125 mm, 200 for .20 mm, 300 for .30 mm, and 400 for .40 mm) for each voxel size. Conclusions Voxel sizes and Hounsfield unit thresholds influence the accuracy of volumetric measurements in CBCT scanning. The volume increase with the voxel size, and different voxel sizes correspond to different optimal Hounsfield unit thresholds.