With respect to the complex anatomy in the head and neck region, computed tomography has been established as a routine method for preoperative evaluation. Whereas in neurosurgery intraoperative tomographic image data acquisition (CT, MR) serves for control of therapeutic effects on a routine base, maxillofacial surgeons aren't accustomed to use the method in this way. Using a mobile Philips Tomoscan M scanner, we examined the clinical significance and especially the ergonomy of intraoperative CT scans in maxillofacial traumatology.