Introduction

Previous studies of the mandibular canal (MC) have raised questions about the structure of its superior wall that have not been answered. The goal of this anatomical and radiological study was to investigate how CBCT imaging could predict the structure of the superior wall of the MC.

Methods

Twenty sides from ten dry mandibles derived from six females and four males were used for this study. The mandibles were examined with CBCT. The specimens were then prepared by the methods of our previous study and observed inferiorly. The inferior views were classified into four groups by gross observation of the surface of the superior wall of the MC: class I (trabecular pattern), class II (osteoporotic pattern), class III (dense/irregular pattern), and class IV (smooth pattern). Coronal section CBCT images were classed according to whether the superior wall of the MC was visible.

Results

Class I was most common in dentulous sections in both genders, and class IV was most common class in edentulous sections in both genders. The superior wall was visible in 59.1% in dentulous and 84.9% in edentulous sections, and non-visible in the remainder.

Conclusion

Tooth presence and sex are important factors influencing the superior wall of the MC. When the superior wall cannot be seen on CBCT, it is more likely to belong to class II (osteoporotic) than other classes.

中文翻译：

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下颌管及其周围结构的解剖：第一部分：下颌管上壁的形态。

介绍

先前对下颌管（MC）的研究提出了有关其上壁结构的问题，但尚未得到解答。这项解剖学和放射学研究的目的是研究CBCT成像如何预测MC上壁的结构。

方法

本研究使用了十个干燥的下颌骨的二十个侧面，这些下颌骨分别来自六个雌性和四个雄性。下颌骨用CBCT检查。然后通过我们以前的研究方法制备标本，并进行观察。根据对MC上壁表面的总体观察，下视图分为四类：I类（骨小梁型），II类（骨质疏松型），III类（密集/不规则型）和IV类（光滑型）模式）。根据MC的上壁是否可见，对冠状切片的CBCT图像进行分类。

结果

在男女两性牙列中，I类最常见，而在男女两性牙列中，IV类最常见。上牙在齿状部分中可见59.1％，在无牙部分中可见84.9％，在其余部分中不可见。

结论

牙齿的存在和性别是影响MC上壁的重要因素。当在CBCT上看不到上壁时，它比其他类别更可能属于II类（骨质疏松）。