Exploring mandibular canal variations using CBCT: A study on clinical relevance and risk assessment

TL;DR

This study uses CBCT to explore variations in the mandibular canal and finds that these variations are clinically significant and detectable with high accuracy.

Contribution

The study provides new prevalence data on mandibular canal variations using CBCT imaging.

Findings

Anatomical variations were present in 29% of the CBCT scans analyzed.

Bifid canals were the most common variation, occurring in 18% of cases.

Anterior loops were found in 11% of the cases.

Abstract

Anatomical variations of the mandibular canal, including bifid canals and anterior loops, can increase the risk of complications
during oral surgical procedures. Traditional radiographic methods often fail to detect these variants accurately, whereas cone-beam
computed tomography (CBCT) provides superior visualization. Therefore, it is of interest to describe the prevalence of these variations
using CBCT. Hence, a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of 200 CBCT scans (patients aged 18-70 years) was conducted to assess bifid,
trifid, retromolar canals, anterior loops and accessory branches in axial, sagittal and coronal planes. Data shows that anatomical
variations were present in 29% of cases, with bifid canals most common (18%) followed by anterior loops (11%), indicating that CBCT
allows reliable identification of clinically significant mandibular canal variations.