Which plane becomes clearer with 3D ultrasound imaging?

• A. Axial plane
• B. Coronal plane
• C. Sagittal plane
• D. Transverse plane

Answer: (B)

Three-dimensional ultrasound captures a volume of tissue that can be reformatted into any orientation. The coronal plane—front-to-back—often becomes clearer because you can view a true coronal slice directly from the volumetric data, showing the relationships between anterior and posterior structures without the need to guess from multiple 2D sweeps. In conventional 2D ultrasound, images are typically acquired in the transverse (axial) orientation, and reformatting to a coronal view is indirect and can be less reliable. With 3D data, you can rotate and re-slice the volume to display the coronal plane clearly, making it easier to assess symmetry, anterior–posterior anatomy, and surface relationships. Other planes can be seen as well, but the coronal view tends to benefit most from volumetric data, which is why it is the best choice.