A study to determine the location and morphology of incisive canal and foramen / Samah Mohammed Abdulla Al-Amery
Objectives: (1) To obtain the mean dimensional measurements of the incisive canal structures and anterior maxillary bone thickness and the incisive foramen location of Malaysian Malays and Chinese. (2) To determine and compare incisive canal length and width between the Malays and Chinese. (3) T...
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| Summary: | Objectives:
(1) To obtain the mean dimensional measurements of the incisive canal structures and
anterior maxillary bone thickness and the incisive foramen location of Malaysian
Malays and Chinese. (2) To determine and compare incisive canal length and width
between the Malays and Chinese. (3) To measure and compare the incisive foramen
diameter and nasal foramina diameter between the Malays and Chinese. (4) To measure
and compare maxillary bone thickness anterior to the incisive canal between the Malays
and Chinese. (5) To determine and compare incisive foramen location between Malays
and Chinese. (6) To classify and compare incisive canal according to its direction
between Malays and Chinese. (7) To classify and compare the canal according to the
number of channels in the middle portion between the Malays and Chinese. (8) To
determine the effects of advancing age on the dimensions of the incisive canal and
related structures.
Materials and Methods
Ninety-four Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) images were selected based
on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. From sagittal views the incisive canal
morphology, location and the anterior maxillary bone thickness were identified and
evaluated using CBCT. The length of the canal was measured as a distance between the
nasal foramen and the incisive foramen, and the inner width of the canal measured at
three levels (the mean was calculated). The anterior maxillary bone thickness was
measured from the outer canal wall to the outer cortical plate of the buccal bone. While
the location of the incisive canal was the measured distance between the incisive
foramen and the most anterio-inferior point of the maxillary buccal bone. A horizontal
cross-section slice was studied in the middle portion of the canal to determine the
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number of channels. Subsequently, employing the interactive SimPlant software the
incisive canal direction and course were studied and classified.
Results
The mean length of the canal was 16.24 (±2.96) mm. The right incisive canal was
longer than the left canal (the mean of the right canal-16.65 (±4.46) mm and the mean
of the left canal-15.98 (±4.71) mm). Incisive canal was wider in males than females
especially in Malays (the mean in males- 4.05 (±1.57) mm and the mean for female-
3.16 (±0.77) mm). The mean anterior maxillary bone thickness - 7.54 (±1.65) mm with
Chinese females having a thickness of 6.76 (±1.41) mm. However, there was a
reduction of the bone thickness with age affecting the position of the incisive foramen.
When gender comparisons were made, the general bone thickness was greater in males
than females, especially in Chinese (the mean bone thickness in males=8.21 (±1.82) mm
and in females=6.76 (±1.41) mm). The majority of the cases had slanted-curve canal
with one channel at their middle portion.
Conclusion
There are many anatomical variations in morphology and location of the incisive canal
and foramen. The right incisive canal is always longer than left canal regardless of
gender, ethnicity and age group. Malay males exhibit large canals, thereby causing thin
maxillary bone when compared with Chinese males. Interestingly Chinese females have
the thinnest anterior maxillary bone thickness. The majority of the Mongoloid
population have slanted-curve canal with one channel at the middle portion of the
incisive canal. These findings may be of clinical importance during surgical procedures,
especially implant placement. For that reason, a careful assessment of this area during
the pre-operative planning procedures is important. |
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