Direct and tomographic dimensional analysis of the inter-radicular distance and thickness of the vestibular cortical bone in the parasymphyseal region of adult human mandibles.

We calculated the inter-radicular distances between the canine, and first and second premolars, of human mandibles and the thickness of the cortical bone at adjacent sites using computed tomographic (CT) imaging, and assessed the precision of the dimensional assessment made by CT compared with the same measurement made directly with calipers. We examined 100 adult cadaveric dentate human hemimandibles. At the level at which monocortical screws are inserted to place miniplates according to the current technique used to treat mandibular fractures, points A, B, and C referred to the canine, and first and second premolars, and were marked to calculate the level of the CT slice and as the reference for sectioning of the hemimandible. Our findings showed that there was no significant difference in the inter-radicular distance or in the thickness of cortical bone between the sides of the mandible. The vestibular cortical bone was less than 3.0mm thick in 91 of the samples. In 98 of the samples the inter-radicular distance between the canine and the first and second premolars was more than 2mm. There was no significant difference in micrometric precision between the dimensional assessment on CT and direct measurement using a caliper. In the region of the mental foramen the screws have cortical bone less than 3mm thick in which to be anchored. The inter-radicular distance suggests that there is a minimal risk of radicular injury when miniscrews are inserted between the alveolar structures. CT is a reliable tool for measuring the inter-radicular distance and the thickness of mandibular cortical bone.