Mandibular canal changes assessed using three-dimensional imaging (CBCT)

A three-dimensional statistical shape model of the growing mandible

Mandibular growth and morphology are important topics in the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery. For diagnostic and planning purposes, a normative database or statistical shape model of the growing mandible can be of great benefit. A collection of 874 cadaveric children’s mandibles with dental age between 1 and 12 years old were digitized using computed tomography scanning and reconstructed to three-dimensional models. Point correspondence was achieved using iterative closest point and coherent point drift algorithms. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to find the main modes of variation in the data set. The average mandible was presented, along with the first ten PCA modes. The first mode explained 78% of the total variance; combining the first ten modes accumulated to 95% of the total variance. The first mode was strongly correlated with age and hence, with natural growth. This is the largest study on three-dimensional mandibular shape and development conducted thus far. The main limitation is that the samples lack information such as gender and cause of death. Clinical application of the model first requires validation with contemporary samples.

Positional Differences of the Mandibular Canal in Relation to Permanent Mandibular First Molars with Eruption Disturbances in Children

Eruption disturbances in permanent mandibular first molars (PM1s) are uncommon. This retrospective study aimed to investigate differences in the position of the mandibular canal in relation to PM1s, with or without, eruption disturbances. Panoramic and cross-sectional views were reconstructed from cone-beam computed tomography imaging of children with PM1 eruption disturbances. Distances from the most inferior margin of the mandible to the center of the mandibular canal (M-C) and from the outer margin of the lingual cortex to the center of the mandibular canal (L-C) were measured for normally erupted PM1s (normal group) and for PM1s with eruption disturbances (ED group) and compared using independent t-tests. The mean M-C was significantly shorter in the ED group (4.86 ± 1.07 mm) than in the normal group (6.56 ± 1.06 mm) (p < 0.05). The mean L-C was also significantly shorter in the ED group (2.74 ± 0.74 mm) than in the normal group (3.09 ± 0.71 mm) (p < 0.05). This study demonstrated that the mandibular canal tended to be positioned more inferiorly in relation to PM1s with eruption disturbances than normally erupted PM1s in children. Clinicians should be aware of this positional deviation when managing children with PM1 eruption disturbances.