Anterior loop of the mental nerve in Saudi sample in Riyadh, KSA. A cone beam computerized tomography study

Prevalence, length, and patterns of Anterior Loop among the South Indian population: A comparative study between Panoramic Radiography and Cone Beam Computed Tomography

Purpose

To assess the prevalence, length, and patterns of the anterior loop of the inferior alveolar nerve by panoramic radiography and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).

Materials and Methodology

A prospective study was conducted on 300 mental foramen regions by exposing them to panoramic radiography and CBCT scan. Two individual observers evaluated the images to assess the presence of an anterior loop, the mean length of the loop, and the most frequent pattern of the loop in our population.

Result Analysis

The prevalence of the anterior loop for male patients and female patients by panoramic radiography was 34% and 32% on the right side and 30% and 36% on left side, respectively. By CBCT, the corresponding values were 69% and 72% on the right and left side, respectively, for male patients, and 73% and 81% on the right and left side, for female patients, respectively.

Conclusion

The results from our study strongly emphasize the need for CBCT imaging before planning for procedures in the mental foramen region because the prevalence, length, and pattern of loop significantly varies with respect to age, sex, and population.

Prevalence and extension of the anterior loop of the mental nerve in different populations and CBCT imaging settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose

Materials and Methods

Results

Conclusion

Mental Foramen and Anterior Loop Anatomic Characteristics: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Cross-sectional Imaging Studies

INTRODUCTION

The present study aimed to review the epidemiologic, topographic, and morphometric aspects of the mental foramen (MF) and anterior loop (AL) on cone-beam computed tomographic imaging studies.

METHODS

An International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO)-registered systematic review (CRD42018112991) was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Two reviewers independently performed data extraction from observational studies that evaluated MF and AL on 7 electronic databases. MedCalc (MedCalc Software bv, Ostend, Belgium) software was used to perform a meta-analysis with a 95% confidence level.

RESULTS

Of 1545 articles, 66 met the inclusion criteria, totaling 14,233 patients from 5 continents, with a total of 6655 females and 5884 males (some studies did not report sex), with an age range between 8 and 89 years. The most prevalent shapes of MF were oval (48.72%) and circular (44.36%), and the most frequent horizontal positions were between premolars (43.66%) and in line with the long axis of the second premolar (43.12%).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the articles that assessed AL, the mean prevalence was 43.18%, with most studies reporting bilateral localization as the most prevalent.