Assessing the significance of mandibular foramen location in radiotherapy planning for the Iraqi population: A cone beam computed tomography study

Abstract

Author(s): Ryaheen Ghazi Rashid*, Rand Mohammed Abdul-Jabbar, Wedyan Yaseen, Suha Khaleel Ibrahim

Background: The mandibular foramen is a critical anatomic landmark of the mandible. Understanding the mandibular foramens position is critical in many dental procedures. Knowing the precise position of the mandibular foramen improves the achievement of the anesthetic procedure. The aim of this study is to evaluate difference in mandibular foramen position according to age, gender and side.

Materials and methods: 56 panoramic images for patients with normal occlusion was reconstructed from cone beam computed tomography from the radiology archive in specialist dental center in Diyala. Distance from mandibular foramen to mandibular notch, mandible's inferior border, ramus's anterior border, and ramus's posterior border was measured for both right and left side. These measurements were categorized by age, gender and side.

Results: Gender and age had no significant difference on distance from mandibular foramen to mandibular notch, the inferior border of the mandible, and the anterior border of the ramus while it had significant difference on the ramus's posterior border on both right and left side with p value (0.0001) for both sides according to gender and p value (0.0008) for right side, p value (0.0013) for left side according to age. The selected measurements show no significant difference when side was compared.

Conclusion: Gender, age and side have no affected on the position of mandibular foramen except the distance from mandibular foramen to posterior border of ramus had significant difference according to gender and age.

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