Anatomy and topography of the greater palatine foramen and the greater palatine canal and their significance in clinical practice

Abstract

The results of morphology and topography of the greater palatine foramen and the greater palatine canal, and their practical application in clinical practice are presented. A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed, eLibrary, and HAC databases. Effective anesthesia in dentistry can be achieved using local anesthesia methods. The success of anesthesia in the posterolateral parts of the upper jaw depends on an accurate knowledge of the anatomy of this area. The review of the anatomy and morphology of the greater palatine foramen and the greater palatine canal as the target point for conducting analgesia, the anatomical structure of the neurovascular bundle passing in the greater palatine canal, the thickness of the mucous membrane of the palate in its various sections. Techniques of regional anesthesia through the greater palatine canal are considered. It is noted that when carrying out this type of anesthesia, it is necessary to take into account the length, shape of the greater palatine canal, the angle of inclination of the needle to the injection point, (taking into account individual characteristics and under the control of conebeam computed tomography). As a result of the analysis, it was found that the choice of a certain type of surgical intervention depends on the clinical situation. However, to date, neither in domestic nor in foreign literature there is no single point of view about the anatomy and morphology of the greater palatine foramen and the greater palatine canal, which emphasizes the extreme urgency of further research of these anatomical formations.

Keywords

• greater palatine foramen
• greater palatine canal
• anesthesia
• morphometry