incluye referencia bibliográfica (página 170)

Background: Morphological variations of the mandibular canal (MC) have been
described in literature, so the clinician must be able to recognise them and adapt
their treatment accordingly. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence
of morphological variations of the MC using digital panoramic radiographs (DPR)
of Chilean patients.
Materials and methods: A retrospective study in which 1400 DPR were analysed
to identify cases of bifid, trifid and retromolar MC. The radiographs were analysed
independently by two examiners who had previously been trained by a specialist
in oral and maxillofacial radiology. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied
to reach a final sample.
Results: Nine hundred and twenty-five radiographs were included (599 female,
326 male; mean age 36.1 ± 15.54 years). The prevalence of bifid MC was 11%
(n = 102), with no significant differences by sex (p = 0.069). Proportion of bifid
MC was higher among younger patients (p = 0.038). Prevalence of morphological variations of type 1 bifid MC was 7.4% (n = 69), type 2 was 2.3% (n = 23),
type 3 was 0% (n = 0) and type 4 was 1.1% (n = 10). Prevalence of retromolar
canal was 0.9% (n = 8), with no significant differences by sex (p = 0.893) or age
(p = 0.371); of these, 2 (0.2%) cases were forward type and 6 (0.6%) cases were
retromolar type. No cases of trifid MC were found.
Conclusions: Digital panoramic radiographs are useful for detecting morphological
variations of the MC; we were able to identify three types of bifid MC as well as
retromolar canals. Proper identification of these variations by an easily accessible
examination is important for avoiding possible complications in clinical-surgical
practice