Three-dimensional Position of Mandibular Foramen in a Subpopulation Residing in the West of Iran Using Panoramic Based on Cone Beam Computed Tomography
Author(s): Farzad Rezaei, Mohammad Moslem Imani, Shabnam Majidi, Sepideh Falah-Kooshki
Abstract
Mandibular foramen is an important anatomical landmark for successful local anesthesia in the mandible. However, it has considerable anatomical variations. This study aimed to evaluate the three-dimensional position of mandibular foramen in a subpopulation residing in the west of Iran using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). This descriptive and analytical study evaluated CBCT scans of 120 patients (50 males, 70 females) with a mean age of 33.78±12.85 years. Two observers measured the distance from the mandibular foramen to the anterior and posterior borders of ramus, mandibular notch, base of the mandible, apex of the retromolar triangle and third molar tooth/socket on CBCT scans. Panoramic images were reconstructed of CBCT scans with 1 mm slice thickness and the width of the mandibular foramen and the size of the gonial angle in the right and left sides were measured on the reconstructed images. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 18 using paired and independent t-test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient (P<0.05). No significant difference was noted in any of the measured distances between the right and left sides (P>0.05). Vertical distances in males were significantly greater than those in females (P<0.05). The measured values had no significant correlation with age (P>0.05). Mandibular foramen was mainly located in the posterior third of the ramus in the horizontal plane in our study population.
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