The anomalous canal between two accessory foramina on the mandibular ramus: the temporal crest canal

Examination of coronoid foramen and coronoid canal with CBCT

Objective

This study aimed to examine the coronoid foramen using CBCT not only according to its localization, distribution to gender and age but also to determine whether there are canals associated with the coronoid foramen and to identify them and their clinical significance.

Methods

488 images obtained between 2022 and 2023 were retrospectively evaluated in sagittal, horizontal, and coronal sections. During the evaluation of the images, the number and localization of the coronoid foramen and the coronoid canals originating from this foramen were recorded and examined. In addition, the patient images were divided into different age groups and the presence of coronoid foramen was analyzed.

Results

Coronoid foramen was detected in 5.1 % and coronoid canal in 1.6 % of the images. Unilateral coronoid foramen was found in 1.4 % and bilateral coronoid foramen was found in 3.7 % of the patients. Unilateral coronoid canal was found in 1.0 % and bilateral coronoid canal in 0.6 % of the patients. When the presence of coronoid foramen was analyzed according to age groups, no significant difference was found between age groups.

Conclusion

Recognition of the coronoid foramen and coronoid canal will not only reduce the likelihood of complications in surgical procedures but also influence the treatment plan. Further research is needed to recognize the content of this variations.

[Importance of cone beam computed tomography in the recognition of the trajectory and anatomical variants of the mandibular canal. A review of the literature]

The objective of this study was to provide an updated review of the literature on the importance of the use of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in the recognition of the trajectory and variants of the mandibular canal (MCV).CBCT allows obtaining high quality images and visualization with an accuracy of approximately 94%, compared to 53% with periapical intraoral radiography (RIP) and 17% with panoramic extraoral radiography (REP), making CBCT an important diagnostic tool.The incidences of MCV in CBCT studies were between 1.3% and 69%, with differences between patients of different ethnic origins and within the same ethnic population, and in the types and configurations of MCV within each ethnic group. The studies available in the literature provide a histological description of the content of MCV. The presence of nerve and artery bundles of different calibers suggests that patients present clinical symptoms only if the neurovascular bundle reaches a certain size and number of fascicles. This review provides a description of the different classifications available and updated with CBCT.

A mandibular bone defect of uncertain significance: report of a paleopathological case

Anatomical variations of the mandibular canal as well as the presence of accessory canals and foramina are common findings in the human mandible. Here, we present a previously unreported type of anatomical variation, consisting of a large full-thickness bone defect of the right mandibular ramus, observed in a young male unearthed from a mediaeval cemetery located in North-Eastern Italy. The defect was located very close to, yet not directly connected with, the mandibular canal. Awareness of the existence of deviations from the anatomical norm such as that we describe here is strategic to avoid diagnostic misinterpretations, minimise technical hitches, and prevent clinical complications during invasive procedures in the region of the mandible.