Anatomie und Physiologie: Aktuelle Forschung
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Anatomic Relationship between Mental Foramen and Peripheral Structures Observed By Cone-Beam Computed Tomography

Lan Zhang, Qinghua Zheng, Xuedong Zhou, Yin Lu and Dingming Huang

Backgroud: This study investigated the anatomic relationship between mental foramen and peripheral structures using cone-beam computed tomography.

Methods: In total, 172 cone-beam computed tomography images were evaluated. Mental foramen number, size, and form were recorded, and their three-dimensional relationships with mandibular premolar root apices were investigated. The percentile position of each mental foramen relative to bony reference points was measured, and distances from mental foramen to the cement enamel junctions of the mandibular premolars were determined. Data were analyzed and compared among groups defined by age and sex using one-way analysis of variance and Student’s t-test, respectively (significance defined as P<0.05).

Results: Most of the subjects had a single mental foramen on each side; only 5.81% had double foramina. The mean horizontal and vertical MF diameters were 5.14 (1.10) mm and 3.85 (0.72) mm, respectively. 67% of mental foramen had an oval horizontal form and the others were round. Mean distances from mental foramen to the alveolar crest and inferior mandibular border were 11.88 (2.49) mm and 13.65 (1.75) mm, respectively. The cementoenamel junctions of mandibular premolars were ~14 mm superior to mental foramen were most commonly positioned in line with the longitudinal axis of the mandibular second premolar.

Conclusions: Most mental foramen were located in line with the longitudinal axis of the mandibular second premolar. The detailed information about the relationship between MF and peripheral structures obtained in this study will facilitate dental surgery in this oral and maxillofacial region.