Anomalous muscle bellies in the flexor compartment of forearm - A case report

Abstract

Background: Mandible is the strongest bone of the face which is preferred after pelvis for sex determination by forensic experts. In case of inferior alveolar nerve block, given in various maxillofacial surgery, the nerve is to be anesthetized at the level of mandibular foramen by Halsted approach. The reason for high failure rate of mandibular nerve block is the variations in the location of mandibular foramen. So the knowledge of morphometry of mandibular ramus and mandibular foramen will help in accurate localization of foramen and help in preventing complications like haemorrhage, injury to the neurovascular bundle, fractures and necrosis of mandibular ramus. Materials and method: The study was carried out on 86 dry human mandibles. The distance of mandibular foramen from the different borders of ramus and from the third molar tooth were measured with the help of Digital Vernier calliper. The presence of accessory mandibular foramen was also noted. Results: Results of morphometric parameters of ramus were-AB-MF(RT)-16.88, AB-MF(LT)-16.57, PB-MF(RT)-11.51, PB-MF(LT)-12, MF-MN(RT)21.85, MF-MN(LT)-21, MF-MB(RT)-22.82, MF-MB(LT)-22.79, MRW(RT)-30.23 and MRW(LT)-30.02 mm. Incidence of accessory mandibular foramen was 42.68%. Mean diameter of mandibular foramen was 4.26 mm on the right side while 4.49 mm on the left side. Conclusion: There were variations in the different morphometric parameters of mandibular ramus and in the location of mandibular foramen. Knowledge of such variations will be helpful to the maxillofacial surgeons, forensic experts, radiotherapist in radiotherapy of tumours of maxillofacial region and anatomists.