Mental Foramen - A Morphological Evaluation of Dry Adult Human Mandible in Indian Population

Background: Mental foramen is an important anatomical and surgical landmark. Mental nerve and vessels emerge from it. Knowledge of variations in morphology of mental foramen in various populations is important, as it is a common site for regional anaesthesia in various dental and maxillofacial surgical procedures. Aim: Aim of present study is to look into the morphological differences in mental foramen of dry adult mandibles in Indian. Material and Method: Forty-one (41) dry adult human mandible of known sex obtained from the Department of Anatomy, Phulo-Jhano Medical College Dumka, Jharkhand and students of this institution were studied. Shape, direction and position of mental foramen were visually assessed. Distance from mental foramen to symphysis menti and distance from alveolar crest to mental foramen was measured. Results: Oval shape was the most common type. Position below second premolar tooth was most common. Direction of opening of MF was postero-superior in 88.6% and in the rest, it was antero-superior. Conclusion: This study reaffirms that morphological variations of mental foramen do exist between different populations and knowledge of these variations is important for various anaesthetic and surgical procedures. Keywords: Morphology, Morphometry, Mental Foramina, Mandible, Mental Nerve.