An evaluation of mandibular canal variations: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The inferior alveolar nerve and vessels are carried via the mandibular canal, which extends bilaterally from the inferior alveolar foramen to the mental foramen. Bifid and trifid mandibular canals result from abnormal fusions of nerve canals. The purpose of this study was to provide an up-to-date an...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Anatomical science international 2023-03, Vol.98 (2), p.176-184
Main Authors: Asghar, Adil, Priya, Ananya, Ravi, Kumar Satish, Iwanaga, Joe, Tubbs, R. Shane, Naaz, Shagufta, Panchal, Padamjeet
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Alveoli
Anatomy
Animal Anatomy
Animal Physiology
Cell Biology
Histology
Human Physiology
Humans
Mandible - anatomy & histology
Mandibular Canal
Mandibular Nerve - anatomy & histology
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Mental Foramen
Meta-analysis
Molar
Morphology
Neurosciences
Original Article
Variation
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The inferior alveolar nerve and vessels are carried via the mandibular canal, which extends bilaterally from the inferior alveolar foramen to the mental foramen. Bifid and trifid mandibular canals result from abnormal fusions of nerve canals. The purpose of this study was to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive analysis of the prevalence of mandibular canal variations among healthy adults, and to identify any potential ethnic, sex, or laterality predilections. The prevalence of the bifid mandibular canal was 18.87% and that of the trifid canal 1.3%. Unilateral variants were three times commoner than bilateral. Each mandibular half had four canals emanating from separate openings on the lingual surface of the mandibular ramus. Retromolar and forward canals were the predominant subtypes, followed by dental; buccolingual were the least frequent. The mean length and diameter of the bifid mandibular canal were 13.62 mm and 1.63 mm, respectively. The possibility of a bifid mandibular canal is a crucial consideration in dental medicine. Because anatomical variations of the mandibular canal are fairly common, awareness of them is essential for anatomy teachers and for surgeons who operate in the oromaxillofacial region.
ISSN:1447-6959
1447-073X
DOI:10.1007/s12565-022-00682-7