Morphological characteristics of mental canal and its clinical significance

Objective:To provide reliable anatomical data for the operation in the mental region.Methods:The anterior parts of 60 mandibular canals of Chinese wet mandible specimens fixed with formol were dissected and measured.Results:The incisive nerve canal were apart from anterior ends of mandibular canals,and only 3.3% of them ended directly in mental foramina,96.7% of them bended backward and upward forming mental canal and then ended in the mental foramina.Mental canal's length was 4.01±1.20 mm averagely and its diameter was 2.6±0.6 mm.The horizontal distance from the anterior border of mental foramen to the anterior end of mandibular canal was 3.54±0.70 mm.The vertical distance from the inferior border of mental foramen to the superior border of mandibular canal was 3.21± 0.90 mm.Inferior alveolar nerve at the end of mandibular canal divided into two branches:the incisive nerve passed through incisive nerve canal and extended to incisors,the mental nerve passed through incisive nerve canal and extended to incisors,the mental nerve passed through mental canal and then pierced out from mental foramen.Conclusions:The anterior end of mandibular canal extends and becomes mental canal containing mental nerve.