Assessment of the anterior and caudal extent of inferior alveolar nerve canal, location of inferior alveolar canal and mental foramen, and the depth of submandibular fossa using computed tomography

BACKGROUND: A well-versed knowledge of the precise location of various anatomical landmarks is necessary to avoid complications during surgery. The study was conducted for the assessment of the anterior and caudal extent of the inferior alveolar nerve canal, location of inferior alveolar canal and mental foramen, and the depth of the submandibular fossa using computed tomography (CT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred CT scans were randomly selected for this study accounting for 200 hemimandibles. Both axial and coronal images were obtained and evaluated concurrently. Results were subjected to statistical analysis for correct inferences. RESULTS: A total of 200 hemimandibles (n = 200) from 100 patients with a mean age was 23.89 ± 1.75 years ranging from 21 to 33 years were evaluated. The mean length of the anterior loop was 0.95 mm for all of the observation combined and measurement range from 0 to 5.1 mm. The total frequency of type I, type II, and type III of mental nerve was found as 71%, 4.5%, and 24.5%, respectively. At the level of the first molar, the mean distance from the center of the inferior alveolar canal to the external surface of the buccal cortex (Q) was 5.44 ± 1.38 mm ranging from 2.4 to 10.4 mm. Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference in MF-IMB (mental foramen to the inferior border of mandible) between the right and left sides of the mandible. (P = 0.87). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that analyzing CT scans using the methods described in this study can be a useful tool in avoiding the iatrogenic injuries to inferior alveolar nerve and arteries during various maxillofacial surgical procedures.