Cone-beam computed tomography analysis of the shape, height, and location of the mandibular lingula

Abstract

The precise anatomic location of the lingula is clinically significant because it is subject to injury during a variety of oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures. This is the first study to identify and classify the different morphological shapes of the mandibular lingula using cone-beam computed tomography. A retrospective study was performed to evaluate the shape, height, and location of the lingula in relation to surrounding structures using cone-beam computed tomographic images. The shape of the lingula was classified into triangular, truncated, nodular, and assimilated types. The location was determined by five distances from the lingular tip to: the anterior and the posterior borders of the mandibular ramus, the mandibular notch, the distal surface of the mandibular second molar, and the occlusal plane. Nodular shape of the lingula was most commonly found [51.2% (422)] followed by truncated [32% (264)]. The mean height of the lingula was 7.97 ± 1.84 mm. The mean distance of lingula from the anterior and posterior borders of mandibular ramus was 16.7 ± 2.7 and 13.0 ± 2.3 mm, respectively. The lingula was located at 15.3 ± 2.4 mm from the mandibular notch and 29.4 ± 3.9 mm from the distal side of alveolar socket of mandibular second molar tooth. The present study provides new information to the literature concerning the shape, height, and location of the lingula in the Turkish population. This finding may assist surgeons to localize the lingula and avoid intraoperative complications.