OBJECTIVEThis research aimed to analyze the three-dimensional position of mandibular canal (MC) and man of MC and its relationship with the surrounding structures dibular morphology of normal young males and females by using data from cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), as well as to provide an anatomical basis for clinical surgery of the mandible.

METHODSNormal occlusion and CBCT scans of 29 normal young people were conducted. InVivo 5 software was used to reconstruct the mandible, anchor the points, and measure the jaw shape and three-dimensional course of MC. All measurements were analyzed with SSPS 17.0 software.

RESULTSThe MC lingual bone cortex was thinner than the MC buccal bone cortex, and the distance of the MC to the buccal bone cortex gradually increased. However, the distance of the MC to the tongue bone cortex and alveolar crest gradually decreased from proximal to distal. In addition, the distance of the MC to the mandibular lower margin was minimal at the first molar and reached the maximum at the second premolar. No significant difference was observed among the heights, widths, and thicknesses of the left and right sides of the cortical bone of the mandibular body cross sections. From the midline to the farthest point, the height and lower one-third thickness of the lingual cortical bone of the mandibular body cross sections gradually decreased, whereas the width of the upper cross section and upper one-third thickness of the buccal cortical bone gradually increased. Significant difference was observed in some measured values.

CONCLUSIONAfter MC enter into the mandibular foramen, it moved away from the lingual to the buccal bone but gradually returned to the lingual bone; its general course is closer to the lingual bone. The mandibles of males are thicker than those of females. CBCT can accurately display the course of MC and its relationship with the surrounding structures.