The relative location of the greater palatine foramen in Koreans

Abstract

Purpose: Accurate identifi cation of the anatomical location of the greater palatine foramen (GPF) in the area where the greater palatine nerve and vessels emerge is very important to dentists when administering local block anesthesia for dental surgery, such as a fl ap operation. This study was conducted in order to measure and assess anatomical location of the GPF in Koreans. Materials and Methods: Examination of 25 adult dry skulls of unknown gender was conducted. Measurements were taken of the anteroposterior and mediolateral diameters of the GPF. Distances from the GPF to the midpalatal suture, and to the posterior border of the hard palate were also measured. Measurements were made to the nearest 0.01 mm using a digital Vernier caliper. The location of the GPF in relation to maxillary molarswas noted. Adental orthodontic wire was used to determine the direction of opening of the GPF onto the palate. SPSS 12.0 was used in performance of all statistical analyses. Results: The mean diameter of the anteroposterior measured 5.14 mm and that of the mediolateral was 3.12 mm. The mean distance from the GPF to the midpalatal suture was 15.62 mm, and to the posterior border of the hard palate, 4.06 mm. The most common position of the foramen was found to be opposite to the third maxillary molar (73%), and the second most common position was between the second and third molars (24.3%). The foramen was found to open horizontally in 28 openings (58.3%) and vertically in 20 openings (41.7%). Conclusion: These results provide a useful reference for performance of surgical procedures such as implant placement in the palatal region.