Applied anatomy of mandibular canal

Abstract

The mandibular canal (canalis mandibulae) runs in the thickness of the mandible from the mandibular foramen (foramen mandibulae) to the mental foramen (foramen mentale). The knowledge of its topography and relations with the dental root apices is of great practical importance for the prevention of iatrogenic injuries of the inferior alveolar neurovascular bundle during endodontic and orthodontic treatment and during a number of surgical procedures, such as extraction, resection of the apices of the roots of the teeth, cystectomy, removal of intraosseous neoplasms, as well as during conduction anesthesia. The purpose of this work is to summarize information about the variants of the structure and topography of the mandibular canal. The article considers variants of the structure, course, and topography of the mandibular canal, including in cases of adentia, revealed on the basis of various methods of research. In addition to the use of natural preparations (cuts of the lower jaws), modern radiation research methods, such as radiography, computed tomography and cone-beam computed tomography, are widely used to study the topography of the mandibular canal. The mandibular canal is characterized by significant variability in its course and complex relationships with surrounding structures. The most common variation in the structure of the canal is its bifurcation, which is associated with the peculiarities of embryonic development and is of great clinical importance. Up to date, there are several classifications of variants of its structure that can be used in clinical practice. Further accumulation and systematization of data on its anatomical and topographic features are important for the diagnosis and implementation of therapeutic manipulations in this area.