TITLE:
Nasopalatine Canal Revisited: An Insight to Anterior Maxillary Implants
AUTHORS:
Atul Anand Bajoria, Tripti Kochar, N. C. Sangamesh, Silpiranjan Mishra, Purnendu Rout, Abhay Sonthalia
KEYWORDS:
Cone-Beam Computed Tomography, Nasopalatine Canal, Dental Implants
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Stomatology,
Vol.8 No.1,
January
12,
2018
ABSTRACT: Purpose: The study was performed to evaluate variability in
nasopalatine canal using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in relation to
age and gender. The study also provides an insight while considering anterior
maxillary implants. Materials and Methods: The study included 200
subjects aged between 19 and 67 years who were divided into the following 3
groups: 1) 19 - 34 years old; 2) 35 - 49 years old; 3) >50 years old. The male and
female subjects were 104 and 96 respectively. After obtaining a prior consent,
CBCT was performed using a standard exposure and patient positioning protocol.
The CBCT volume was sliced in three planes (X, Y, and Z) and was sequentially analyzed for the
location, morphology and morphometric dimensions of the nasopalatine canal. The
correlation of age and gender with all the variables were evaluated. Results: The present study revealed statistically significant differences in the length
of the nasopalatine canal based on the age group. The slanted and the cylindrical
variety of the nasopalatine canal were commonly observed in the study. However,
no statistical differences were noted in the other variables such as number of
openings at the nasal fossa, diameter of the incisive fossa, angulation of the
canal as viewed in the sagittal sections and antero-posterior dimensions of the
canal in the sagittal sections. Conclusion: The present study
demonstrates the variability observed in the anatomy and morphology of the
nasopalatine canal which is an important landmark for placing dental implants
in the anterior maxillary region.