title: The mandibular foramen: an anatomic study and its relevance to the sagittal ramus osteotomy.
abstract: The sagittal split ramus osteotomy is the most commonly used procedure to reposition the mandible surgically. Because it is more technically difficult and associated with a higher incidence of complications compared with other mandibular osteotomies, thorough knowledge of the anatomy of the mandibular ramus is a prerequisite. Anatomic measurements related to the mandibular foramen were obtained from 57 formalin-preserved non-Asian hemimandibles. As shown in previous reports, great variability was noted in the position of the mandibular foramen. However, these studies utilized Asian mandibles with a clear discrepancy in key anatomic measurements in comparison with the authors' data. This brings into question the validity of these earlier studies when applying their data to non-Asian groups. The "fade-out" point of the internal oblique ridge was found not to be a reliable anatomic reference for placement of the horizontal osteotomy along the medial ramus. Thus, familiarity with the described relationships of the mandibular foramen will assist in performing properly a sagittal split of the ramus and will reduce the chance for an unfavorable split.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL, USA. j-daw@nwu.edu
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Daw
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: de la Paz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Aitken
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Patel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000601:surgery; D008340:Mandibular Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000379:methods; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D044465:White People