Ur Rehman Ijaz, Anwar Malik Adeel, Farheen Irum, Amin Salman, Sammar Rehma, Tayyab Tahmasub Faraz, Kushef Hooria, Naeem Arooj, Baig Moghees Ahmed
Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, University College of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Lahore, Lahore, PAK.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, USA.
Cureus. 2025 Aug 7;17(8):e89573. doi: 10.7759/cureus.89573. eCollection 2025 Aug.
The incisive (nasopalatine) canal is an important anatomical structure of the anterior maxilla. It holds significance for surgeries and implant placement in the central incisor region. The size, shape, and relation with surrounding bones may vary by age, gender, and ethnicity. Standard radiographs used in dentistry often miss these variations, while cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) allows a precise evaluation in sagittal and axial views. This study aimed to analyze anatomical variations of the incisive canal and surrounding structures, such as canal length, shape, diameter, and bone thickness in the Pakistani subpopulation using CBCT, and compare them across age and gender.
A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 121 high-resolution CBCT scans taken from the Oral Radiology Department, the University of Lahore, from 2021 to 2023. Measurements were done in Planmeca Romexis software (Helsinki, Finland: Planmeca Oy), and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.) using t-tests, ANOVA, and nonparametric tests where appropriate.
The mean age was 34.61±15.38 years. Males had significantly longer incisive canals, thicker palatal bone, and longer incisor roots (p<0.05). Posterior bone width and the distance from incisive foramen to alveolar crest were also greater in males, the latter being marginally significant. Anterior bone width decreased considerably in older age groups, especially above 60 years (p=0.010), while incisor root width showed no gender difference. Hourglass was the most common canal shape (43%), and round foramen shape was slightly more common than oval. No significant differences in shape were seen by age groups and gender.
This study shows key anatomical differences in the Pakistani subpopulation. Gender and age affected many linear measurements, while canal and foramen shapes were fairly consistent. The hourglass configuration was the predominant shape of the incisive canal, and the round foramen appeared slightly more frequently than the oval type. These research findings will be useful for implant planning and surgical procedures involving the anterior maxilla.
切牙（鼻腭）管是上颌前部的一个重要解剖结构。它对中切牙区域的手术和种植体植入具有重要意义。其大小、形状以及与周围骨骼的关系可能因年龄、性别和种族而异。牙科中使用的标准X光片常常会遗漏这些变异情况，而锥形束计算机断层扫描（CBCT）能够在矢状面和轴位面上进行精确评估。本研究旨在利用CBCT分析巴基斯坦亚人群中切牙管及周围结构的解剖变异，如管长、形状、直径和骨厚度，并按年龄和性别进行比较。
对2021年至2023年从拉合尔大学口腔放射科获取的121例高分辨率CBCT扫描进行回顾性横断面研究。在Planmeca Romexis软件（芬兰赫尔辛基：Planmeca Oy）中进行测量，并使用SPSS 25版（纽约阿蒙克：IBM公司）在适当情况下进行t检验、方差分析和非参数检验进行统计分析。
平均年龄为34.61±15.38岁。男性的切牙管明显更长，腭骨更厚，切牙牙根更长（p<0.05）。男性的后骨宽度以及切牙孔到牙槽嵴的距离也更大，后者差异不显著。老年组尤其是60岁以上人群的前骨宽度显著减小（p=0.010），而切牙牙根宽度无性别差异。沙漏形是最常见的管形状（43%），圆形孔形状比椭圆形略常见。各年龄组和性别在形状上无显著差异。
本研究显示了巴基斯坦亚人群中的关键解剖差异。性别和年龄影响了许多线性测量值，而管和孔的形状相当一致。沙漏形是切牙管的主要形状，圆形孔出现的频率略高于椭圆形。这些研究结果将有助于上颌前部的种植规划和手术操作。
