The neurovascular contents of a unilateral double mandibular canal: A case study

Abstract

The occurrence of bifid mandibular canals is unusual but not rare. Previous reviews and case studies have described numerous types of bifid canals based on location, anatomy, and contents. Developmentally, ossification of the mandible begins at the region of the mental foramen and continues posteriorly, forming the mandibular canal around the neurovascular bundle within. This process explains the creation of multiple mandibular canals and the diversity of canal types previously recorded in the literature; the inferior alveolar nerve originates as three distinct bundles and may experience incomplete fusion, or the nerve and artery may be isolated during ossification. However, the presence of two distinct mandibular canals, each originating from its own mandibular foramen, is even more unusual. This case report describes a unilateral variant discovered during the dissection of a 92‐year‐old African American female. On the left side, the cadaver presents two distinct mandibular canals, each containing a branch of the maxillary artery and mandibular nerve, the third division of the trigeminal (CN V). The nerves within the two canals, the inferior alveolar nerve in the superior canal and the mental nerve in the inferior canal, were distinct from each other at the level of the posterior division of the mandibular nerve, within 1 cm of foramen ovale in the infratemporal region. This is the first description of such an occurrence, and emphasizes the need for identification of the contents of a bifid or accessory mandibular canal prior to invasive procedures.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.