EVALUATION OF THE PREVALENCE AND MORPHOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LATERAL LINGUAL CANAL IN THE INTER-FORAMINAL MANDIBLE OF THE MELMARUVATHUR POPULATION: A RETROSPECTIVE CBCT STUDY

Objectives:Lateral lingual canal (LLC) is a critical anatomical landmark for presurgical assessment of dental
implants. Data on the prevalence and morphometry of the LLC in varying population shows a lot of variability. The
purpose of this cross-sectional Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) study was to assess the frequency,
distribution, location , and morphometric variations of the LLC of Melmaruvathur population in South India.
Materials and Methods:A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using 200 CBCT scans of partially
edentulous individuals aged 21–72 years from the Department of Radiology at Adhiparasakthi Dental College and
Hospital. Inter-foraminal region of mandibular scans were assessed for the presence, location, course, and
morphometric parameters of the LLC. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests
with a significance threshold of p<0.05.
Results: LLCs were observed in 22% of participants, with 20% showing a single canal and 2% exhibiting double
canals. The most common location was the canine region (50%), followed by the premolar (41.66%) and lateral incisor
(8.33%) region, with a significant gender-based association (p=0.048). Cephalic course was the most frequent
(66.66%), and 31.25% of canals crossed a critical diameter of 1 mm. No significant gender differences were observed
in morphometric measurements.
Conclusion: LLCs exhibit notable anatomical variability in the Melmaruvathur population, particularly in their
prevalence, location, and course. Given their potential to cause intraoperative complications, especially during implant surgery, routine and thorough preoperative CBCT evaluation is recommended to ensure surgical safety and precision in implant surgery.