title: Radiological assessment of the inferior alveolar artery course in human corpse mandibles.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  CT assessment of the entire course of the inferior alveolar artery (IAA) within the mandibular canal.
  
  
  METHODS
  After contrast medium injection (180 or 400 mg/ml iodine concentration) into the external carotid arteries of 15 fresh human cadaver heads, the main IAA's position in the canal (cranial, buccal, lingual or caudal) was assessed in dental CT images of partially edentulous mandibles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The course of the main IAA could be followed at both iodine concentrations. The higher concentration gave the expected better contrast, without creating artefacts, and improved visibility of smaller arteries, such as anastomotic sections, dental branches and the incisive branch. The main IAA changed its position in the canal more often than so far known (mean 4.3 times, SD 1.24, range 2-7), but with a similar bilateral course. A cranial position was most often detected (42 %), followed by lingual (36 %), caudal (16 %) and buccal ( 6 %).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With this non-invasive radiologic method, the entire course of the main IAA in the mandibular canal could be followed simultaneously with other bone structures on both sides of human cadaver mandibles. This methodology allows one to amend existing anatomical and histological data, which are important for surgical interventions near the mandibular canal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • Contrast medium injection displayed the inferior alveolar artery's course on mandibular CTs • An iodine concentration of 400 mg/ml enabled visibility until the chin • Frequent position changes of the artery in the mandibular canal were detected • Cranial and lingual positions were most often determined • Course similarities on the respective left and right sides were found.
authors.affiliation: Division of Oral Surgery, Bernhard Gottlieb School of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Sensengasse 2a, 1090, Vienna, Austria, kristina.bertl@meduniwien.ac.at.
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bertl
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hirtler
authors.forename: Toni
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dobsak
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Heimel
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gahleitner
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ulm
authors.forename: Hanns
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Plenk
mesh_terms: D000792:Angiography; D002102:Cadaver; D003287:Contrast Media; D006801:Humans; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media