Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2011, Vol. 15 ›› Issue (2): 377-380.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-8225.2011.02.046

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Anatomic structure of the mandibular canal

Bu Ling-xue1, Wang Ke1, Chen Xin2, Wang Yan-hui1, Yang Xue-cai1, Li Ning-yi1   

  1. 1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao  266003, Shandong Province, China
    2Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Stomatology Hospital, Medical College of Nanjing University, Nanjing  210008, Jiangsu Province, China
  • Received:2010-09-02 Revised:2010-10-12 Online:2011-01-08 Published:2011-01-08
  • Contact: Li Ning-yi, Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China ningyili342@ 163.com
  • About author:Bu Ling-xue★, Master, Attending physician, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China

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Abstract:

BACKGROUND: In mandibular posterior dental implantation, injury to the inferior alveolar nerve sometimes occurs because of mandibular canal going across mandibular body. This restricts the use of dental implantation at this site. Therefore, it is essential to understand the anatomic structure of inferior alveolar nerve canal in mandibular posterior dental implantation.
OBJECTIVE: To observe the intramandibular course of and anatomic structure of inferior alveolar nerve canal.
METHODS: Fifteen adult complete mandible specimens with teeth and 4 fresh mandible arterial infusion specimens were researched. All the specimens had complete dentition and there were no obvious absorption in alveolar bone. The course of inferior alveolar nerve canal and its dimension including transverse and longitudinal diameters of mandibular canal and the distance between mandibular canal and mandible each side (superior, inferior, buccal and lingual side) were measured in 15 adult mandibles with teeth. The relationship between blood vessels and nerve of the canal was observed in 4 fresh arterial infusion specimens.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The distance between the medial border of the mandibular canal and the lingual wall was shorter than that of the lateral wall of the mandibular canal to the buccal wall (P < 0.01); The length from the upper wall of mandibiular canal to the top of the alveolar ridge was longer than that of the inferior border of the mandibular canal to the inferior border of the mandible (P < 0.01). The longitudinal diameter was smaller than the transverse diameter (P < 0.05), namely, the cross section of the mandibular canal was an ellipse with a longer longitudinal diameter. There was no significant difference between the transverse and longitudinal diameters of the canal in the anterior and posterior teeth region of the mandible. The inferior alveolar nerve and its associated blood vessels were located within a nervous vascular bunch in the mandibular canals. In every fresh specimen the blood vessels lay above the nerve. There were small branches of blood vessels surrounding the nerve. The mandibular canal ran towards the lingual side and was close to the inferior margin of the mandible. 

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