Abstract

EVALUATION OF MANDIBULAR LINGULA AND FORAMEN LOCATION USING CONE-BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY IN LIBYAN POPULATION

Ashraf Elmansori*, Randa Farag Salih, Osama Othman Mohammed Ambarak and

Abstract

Introduction: Evaluation of the mandible's morphology and morphometry is important clinically because of the intimate connection between the lingula and the neurovascular pathways that enter through the mandibular foramen. The lingula is frequently employed as a significant bone landmark during inferior alveolar nerve block anesthesia and oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures. Poor anatomical knowledge can lead to several intraoperative problems, including nerve damage, fractures, and hemorrhage. Additionally, incorrect mandibular foramen localization and anatomical differences in the lingula have been linked to the failure of inferior alveolar nerve block anesthesia. Materials and Methods: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans were conducted on 106 Libyan patients who visited a dental clinic, consisting of 49 males and 57 females, with ages ranging from 20 to 56 years. The location of the mandibular lingula was measured. We measured the mandibular angle, anteroposterior width of the ramus, distances from the lingula to the sigmoid notch, distance from the lingula to the Gonion, and from the IOR to the lingula in 112 mandibular rami. Results: The comparison of mean and standard deviation between the right and left sides revealed significant differences (P < 0.01) for most parameters, except for the anteroposterior width of the ramus, which had no significant difference (P > 0.05). The comparisons between different sexes have statistically significant differences on both sides. Conclusion: The results of this research provide important guidelines for orthognathic surgery and IAN block anesthesia. It is possible to regard CBCT as an accurate and efficient method of measuring mandibular fine structures.

Keywords: Lingula, Cone-beam CT, Inferior alveolar nerve, Mandibular foramen.