Sexual dimorphism and mandibular foramen: A CT-Scan study in a sample of Cameroonian population; clinical features

Abstract

Background: The mandibular foramen (MF) is an important anatomical structure during procedures such as anesthesia of the inferior alveolar nerve and surgical acts, including mandibular osteotomies. Many authors have shown that it is essential to know the morphometric characteristics of the MF because the inferior alveolar nerve which passes through it could be damaged in dental practice or explain a failure of anesthesia. Our objective is to determine the morphometric characteristics of the mandibular foramen as a function of sex in a population of Cameroonian individuals. Materials and methods: A retrospective study of CT scans of the craniofacial mass was carried out at the Yaoundé central hospital and at the Yaoundé cathedral medical center. We collected socio-demographic data and 05 dependent variables on 210 hemi mandibles (distance from the MF to the anterior edge, to the posterior edge, to the mandibular notch, to the basilar rim and to the molar occlusal plane). Student's t-test was used for data analysis with a significance level P < 0.05. Results: In total, it was 105 CT of the craniofacial mass of Cameroonian subjects, ie 74.2% of men and 25.8% of women. The MF was bilateral in all of our participants in our survey and positioned 19.4 mm from the anterior edge of the mandible in men and 19.2 mm in women. In our sample, 25.8% of subjects presented a left accessory mandibular foramen. Conclusion: the MF delivers passage to the inferior alveolar nerve which is called upon during anesthesia by trunk block. This study showed differences in the location of the mandibular foramen with measurements taken in Caucasian individuals.

Keywords

• Anatomy
• Morphometry
• Mandibular foramen
• CT Scan