Retrospective Assessment of the Anatomy and Dimensions of Nasopalatine Canal with Cone-Beam Computed Tomography

Abstract

Objectives:The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the anatomy and morphology of the nasopalatine canal in axial, sagittal, and coronal sections with cone-beam computed tomography and to appraise the effect of gender, age, and dental status on the nasopalatine canal. Material and Methods: Overall 1000 patients with cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images were analysed retrospectively. The morphology of the nasopalatine canal (NPC) was classified according to sections. Its sizes were measured, and variations were evaluated. The variables obtained were statistically analysed. Results: It was observed that the most common NPC shape was the cylindrical type (47.1%) in sagittal sections, and the C-shaped canal (51.1%) in coronal sections. In the axial section, two Stenson foramen (45.2%) were observed most frequently, and the most common form was found as oval (60.7%). In sagittal sections, statistically significant differences were obtained between all morphometric measurements and shapes of the NPC except the angle of the canal. It was found that all morphometric measurements in sagittal and coronal sections were higher in men. Also, it was found that the NPC angle and NPC length decreased with tooth loss. Conclusions: The nasopalatine canal shows many variations, and its dimensions differ according to gender, age, and dental status. For this reason, before the surgical procedures are applied to the maxilla, it should be evaluated radiologically to prevent complications.

Morphological Assessment of Nasopalatine Canal Using Cone Beam Computed Tomography: A Retrospective Study of 124 Consecutive Patients

“…Assessment of the NPC has been carried out in previous studies, using Multislice CT (MSCT) scans [5,8,16], hi-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) [1], micro-CT images [14] and CBCT imaging [6,11,[27][28][29][30][31]. In our study, CBCT imaging was used to assess and analyze the morphology and dimensions of the NPC, and its anatomic variations, as well as its adjacent BOP.…”

“…Given that CBCT has comparable and/or higher spatial resolution to that of MSCT, it is considered suitable for imaging and assessing various subtle anatomical structures such as that of the NPC and its adjacent BOP. Additionally, due to its inherent limitations, 2D imaging/radiography struggles to provide accurate information about the anatomical structures being assessed [8,22,27].…”

“…These were measured on the reconstructed sagittal CBCT images (Figures 1 and 2). All measurements were performed using the manufacturer's specialized computer software (NNT v.6.2, Verona, Italy) [6,27,28]. Anatomical types of NPC were also recorded and classified as: a single canal (A), two parallel canals (B), variations of the Y-type of canal with one IF and two or more SF (C).…”

“…Anatomical types of NPC were also recorded and classified as: a single canal (A), two parallel canals (B), variations of the Y-type of canal with one IF and two or more SF (C). This was performed on the reconstructed coronal CBCT images (Figure 3) [6,27,28].…”

“…Hence, CBCT has already established itself as the volumetric 3D imaging modality of choice among general dental practitioners and specialists (e.g., oral and maxillofacial surgeons, orthodontists, etc.) as this has, primarily, a relative low radiation dose and good image quality [21][22][23][24][25][26][27].…”