Determination of Location of Mandibular Foramen of Sri Lankans with Reference to Nearer Anatomic Landmarks by using Dry Mandibles

Objective: The mandibular foramen serves as a reference point in the inferior alveolar nerve block and is at risk in some maxillofacial surgeries. Therefore, it is crucial to localize the position of the mandibular foramen. Worldwide many studies have been conducted regarding this but in Sri Lanka, there aren’t any recorded studies. The objective of this study was to determine the location of the mandibular foramen with reference to nearer anatomical landmarks of the Sri Lankans according to gender.
Methods: A total of 20 dry mandibles collected from the Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Wayamba University Sri Lanka were included in this study. The distances from the mandibular foramen to 8 bony landmarks were measured using the digital vernier caliper. The data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0 Version. The mean distances were calculated and compared according to gender using the independent samples t-test. The differences in mean measurements between the right and left sides of the mandibles were compared according to gender using the paired samples t-test.
Results: There was a significant difference between male and female mandibles in mean distances from the posterior border of the mandibular ramus on the left side, and from the angle of the mandible bilaterally. There was no statistically significant difference between any of the measurements of the right and left sides of the male mandibles, but there was a statistically significant difference in some of the measurements between the right and left sides of the female mandibles. Out of the 40 mandibular foramina observed, there was only one accessory mandibular foramen.
Conclusions: According to the study it was proven that there’s a difference in the location of mandibular foramen according to gender. The location of the mandibular foramen in the Sri Lankan population was different from the documented locations of the mandibular foramen of various populations around the globe.