Mandibular canal vs. inferior alveolar canal: Evidence‐based terminology analysis

Abstract

Introduction The mandibular canal, as it was formerly named in Terminologia Anatomica (TA), has also been called the inferior alveolar (nerve) canal in many scientific publications. This study was conducted to investigate how these terms have been understood in different regions and different areas of expertise and to discuss the appropriate future application of the term “mandibular canal.” Methods A literature search was conducted using PubMed, and articles using different terms for this structure were classified into two groups, inferior alveolar canal/inferior alveolar nerve canal (IAC/IANC) and the mandibular canal (MC). The 50 most recent articles in each group were included. Publication year, journal title, country of the first author, and affiliation of all authors were recorded in both groups for all 100 articles. Results There was a significant difference between the IAC/IANC and MC groups in the numbers of anatomy journals, other journals, and anatomy affiliations. Turkey published most frequently with a total of 15 articles, followed by Iran with 10 articles, and China/India/United States with seven each. When the six countries of the first author that had three or more publications in each group were compared, only Turkey appeared in both groups; otherwise, different countries were in the two groups. Conclusions Based on the results of this analysis, and considering that the tentative new term “inferior alveolar foramen” is used in the latest TA, we suggest that the mandibular canal should be renamed the “inferior alveolar canal.”

Mandibular canal versus inferior alveolar canal: A Delphi study

“…It is believed that anatomists in general are more familiar with Terminologia Anatomica (TA) and commonly use this terminology more strictly than other specialties such as dentistry (Iwanaga et al, 2020). Therefore, it is understandable why most anatomists use the term “mandibular canal.” Also, anatomists, oral/OMF surgeons, and ENT/plastic surgeons were familiar with the mandibular canal before dental implants became popular.…”

“…Although the “inferior alveolar canal” is considered a reasonable alternative for “mandibular canal,” “inferior alveolar nerve canal” should not be accepted for the following reasons: The canal is not only for the nerve but also for its accompanying blood vessels. There is no other bony canal in the human body named “nerve canal.” Changing terminology, especially terms that have been often used by both anatomists and physicians, can be challenging. In the long history of anatomy, there have been many changes in terminology (Iwanaga et al, 2020). Even the “mandibular canal” has had different names, for example, dental canal, alveolar canal, inferior dental canal, inferior alveolar canal, inferior alveolar nerve canal (Mortazavi, Baharvand, Safi, Dalaie, et al, 2019; Schäfer & Thane, 1890; Standring, 2015).…”

“…General principles indicate that the bony canal that accommodates the inferior alveolar neurovascular bundle should be called the “inferior alveolar canal.” Also, the superior and inferior alveolar neurovascular bundles constitute a pair of structures so that “alveolar” should be used for both the superior and inferior canals and foramina. This clearly shows that the term “mandibular canal” is an exception to this general anatomical principle (Iwanaga et al, 2020).…”

“…Our recent study found that “inferior alveolar canal” or “inferior alveolar nerve canal” instead of the term “mandibular canal” has been widely and more commonly used by authors from certain countries, for example, Iran, China, and India (Iwanaga et al, 2020). Also, the authors of papers published in dental journals tend to use both terms almost equally.…”

The Usage of the Terms Mandibular Canal, Inferior Alveolar Canal, and Inferior Dental Canal in the Academia: A Bibliometric Analysis

“…The synonymous terms mandibular canal (MC), inferior alveolar (nerve) canal (IAC), and inferior dental (nerve) canal (IDC) have been used interchangeably in the academic literature. It was argued that since the mandible contains multiple foramina, the canal opening, mandibular foramen, should be renamed as inferior alveolar foramen and thus the term IAC should be a more appropriate representation of the canal (Iwanaga et al, 2021). This argumentation, based on its nature, should be established in the distant past.…”