Inferior alveolar nerve trajectory, mental foramen location and incidence of mental nerve anterior loop

Background: Injury of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) is a serious intraoperative complication that may occur during routine surgical procedures, such as dental implant placement or extraction of impacted teeth. Thus, the purpose of this study was to analyze the trajectory of the mandibular canal (MC), the location of the mental foramen (MF) and the presence and extension of an anterior loop of the mental nerve (AL). Study Design: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 348 CBCTs were analyzed. Distances from MC to the surface of the basal, medial and lateral cortical of the mandible were measured at the level of the second molar, first molar and second premolar. Location of the MF relative to the apices of the premolars, as well as incidence and anterior extent of the AL were also determined. Results: Significant and clinically relevant correlations were found between the position of the MC in women, which was located more caudal (r=-0.219, p=0.007; r=-0.276, p< 0.001; right and left, respectively) and lateral (r=-0.274, p=0.001; r=-0.285, p< 0.001; right and left, respectively), particularly at the level of the premolars. Additionally, the presence (r=-0.181, p=0.001; r=-0.163, p=0.002; right and left, respectively) and anterior extension (r=-0.180, p=0.009; r=-0.285, p=0.05; right and left, respectively) of the AL was found to be inversely correlated with the age of the patient. Conclusions: This analysis of a Caucasian population has found that the older the patient, the lower the incidence of the loop and the shorter its anterior extension (AU)

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Maxillary Sinus Dimensions Decrease as Age and Tooth Loss Increase.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between patient-dependent variables and dimensional variations of the maxillary sinus. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 394 individual cone-beam computed tomography scans were evaluated by one calibrated examiner to measure the total volume of the maxillary sinus, the distance between the medial and the lateral walls at 5, 10, and 15 mm vertically from the sinus floor, the height of septa (if present), and the height of the maxillary sinus cavity from both the alveolar crest and the sinus floor to the meatus. Recorded patient-dependent variables were age, gender, and edentulism status. RESULTS: Total maxillary sinus volume was significantly smaller in completely and partially edentulous patients than in dentate subjects. This finding was influenced by age, as older patients exhibited less volume, regardless of gender and edentulism status. Age showed an indirect correlation with the distance to the meatus, the sinus volume, and the mediolateral dimensions. Additionally, the prevalence of accessory meatus in this population was 29.19%. CONCLUSIONS: The dimensions of the maxillary sinus are influenced by age and edentulism status being reduced by aging and tooth loss.