THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE MANDIBULAR FORAMEN – REVIEW OF THE SPECIALISED LITERATURE

Abstract

The mandibular foramen (MF) is the place for the inferior alveolar nerve anaesthesia. Knowledge of the anatomical landmarks for its location and of the variations regarding its topography is important for the successful treatments of the mandibular teeth. An analysis of 57 summaries of scientific papers and 41 in extenso articles, using ISI Thomson Web of Knowledge, PubMed and MedLine databases, and additionally, a search in 5 anatomy books were performed. The results showed similarities among most of the accessed studies, but also differences. The most frequent variations concerning the MF position were in relation to the vertical plane. According to most authors, the MF is located in the posterior middle third of the anterior-posterior plane of the mandibular ramus. A precise location of the MF provides therapeutic safety and lack of complications.

Keywords

• mandibular foramen – anatomy
• local anesthesia
• inferior alveolar nerve