Evaluation of location and dimensions of mandibular lingual canals: a cone beam computed tomography study

This retrospective study evaluated the presence, location, and diameter of the mandibular lingual canals in a Taiwanese population using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), to help improve the safety of mandibular surgical procedures. A total of 101 patients (46 men and 55 women), with a mean age of 55 years, were enrolled. Cross-sectional CBCT images of the mandible were used to define the orifice and diameter of each lingual canal detected. The relevance of all data for both sexes was assessed and analyzed statistically using non-paired t-tests. The canals were categorized as median (MLC) and lateral lingual canals (LLC) based on the position of the mandible. The midline of the symphysis showed the highest frequency of lingual canals (97.0%), and all patients exhibited at least one lingual perforating bone canal in the mandible. The lingual canal diameter ranged from 0.25 to 1.90 mm (mean 0.61 mm) in the midline region and from 0.25 to 1.60 mm (mean 0.58 mm) in the lateral region. Significant differences in diameter were observed between the sexes in the MLC and LLC groups (men > women). The results suggest that mandibular lingual vascular canals are common and detected regularly using CBCT.