The Morphological and Morphometric Analysis of Accessory Mental Foramen Among the Pakistani Population and Its Clinical Significance

Objective: To determine the different possible locations, shapes, and numbers of AMF (Accessory Mental Foramen), their incidence on the mandible bilaterally, and their distance from the mental foramen (MF), since the foramina are surgically significant due to the passage of mental nerve divisions through them, their position and location are crucial to be understood by dental surgeons for nerve block, surgical interventions, and prevention of nerve injury. Methods: A total of 96 mandibles out of 110 were measured bilaterally using Digital Vernier Caliper to determine distance of AMF from the MF. Other parameters were observed and analyzed using SPSS version 26, Paired T tests and Chi square test were performed on various parameters. Result: 22 AMFs were present in mandibles, with 36.36% AMFs on the right side, 9.09 % were found on the left side, and 54.54% bilaterally. Approximately 81.81% of the mental foramina were oval in shape, while the remaining 18.18% were round. The AMF was found posterior (27%) and inferior (27%) to the MF, whereas other findings included AMF location anterosuperior (9%), anteroinferior (9%), posterosuperior (18%), and posteroinferior (9%) to the alveolar crest. The distance of the AMF from the MF was (6.05 ± 4.23 mm) on the right side and (3.60±2.88 mm) on the left side, with a statistically significant difference (p = 0.013). Conclusion: A recent study precisely measured various possible parameters related to the AMF, including incidence, shape, and position with respect to various anatomical landmarks. The information in this study will assist dental surgeons and anaesthesiologists in surgical interventions, finding the correct position for local anaesthesia, preventing damage to the neurovascular bundles, and preventing incomplete anaesthesia.