Abstract
This study investigated the cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)-based features of the mandibular canal, mental foramen, anterior loop, and accessory mental foramina with respect to age and sex. A total of 306 CBCT mandibular images were included in this retrospective study to measure the mandibular canal location and extension, the mental foramen position, the presence of the anterior loop, and the accessory mental foramina. The measurements were obtained in sagittal, coronal, and axial views. Descriptive statistics are presented. Sex-related differences, correlations, and comparisons were calculated using SPSS at 5% significance level. The mandibular canal was located more coronal and medial in male patients. The majority of cases had the mental foramen located just apical to the mandibular second premolar with a mean height of 2.94 mm and a mean length of 3.28 mm. Age affected the size of the mental foramen. The mental canal in all cases tended to show a coronal direction. Mesial extension of the anterior loop was found in 66.01% of the images while accessory mental foramina were detected in 2.6%. The complexity of the mandibular canal, mental foramen, anterior loop, and accessory mental foramina among Sudanese patients with respect to age and sex was confirmed.
Highlights
A thorough understanding of the complexity of mandibular canal (MC) anatomy, the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) course, and the mental region is paramount for the safe conduct of root canal treatment and oral and maxillofacial surgeries in the mandible [1,2].The IAN runs as a part of the inferior alveolar neurovascular bundle within the osseousMC
The MC is usually located close to the lingual surface of the bone till it reaches the mesial surface of the mandibular first molar, from where it becomes more buccally located until its termination in the mental foramen (MF) [3]
This study showed significant sex-related differences in the location of the MC in the regions of the mandibular second premolar and mandibular first and second molars (p < 0.001), with males tending to show a more coronal course than females in relation to the three teeth (Table 1)
Summary
A thorough understanding of the complexity of mandibular canal (MC) anatomy, the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) course, and the mental region is paramount for the safe conduct of root canal treatment and oral and maxillofacial surgeries in the mandible [1,2]. The IAN runs as a part of the inferior alveolar neurovascular bundle within the osseous. The MC is usually located close to the lingual surface of the bone till it reaches the mesial surface of the mandibular first molar, from where it becomes more buccally located until its termination in the mental foramen (MF) [3]. The MF is usually singular, accessory buccal openings may be present, known as accessory mental foramina (AMF) which show continuity with the MC [11] The prevalence and extension of the AL are variable among populations [5,8,9,10].
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