Prevalence and morphometric analysis of the accessory mental foramina in Arab and Kurdish Iraqi populations using cone beam computed tomography

Purpose: Evaluation of the presence and morphology of the accessory mental foramina (AMF) before performing dental implants or other surgical procedures is crucial to prevent damage to the inferior alveolar neurovascular bundle and the associated complications. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and morphology of AMF in Arab and Kurdish Iraqi populations. Methods: Cone beam computed tomography images of 400 subjects (200 Arabs, 200 Kurds) were collected from radiology archives. RadiAnt DICOM software (Medixant, Poland) was used for image analysis. The prevalence, location, shape, and size of AMF were determined. Chi-square test for differences and descriptive statistics were performed using IBM SPSS version 26. Results: The prevalence of AMF was found in 6.25% of the subjects of both populations. AMF was observed in 3.5% of the Arab population and in 9% of the Kurdish population, both exhibited no significant difference between males and females. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of AMF between the two groups. Among the Kurds, AMF was most commonly positioned below the mental foramen (MF), while among the Arabs, it was equally distributed between below and at the same level as the MF. The oval shape was most prevalent among the Arabs, whereas oval and irregular shapes were the most common among the Kurds. In the Arab population, the mean width and length of the AMF were 1.38 mm and 1.43 mm, respectively. In the Kurdish population, the mean width and length of the AMF were 1.26 mm and 1.19 mm, respectively. Conclusion: Awareness of anatomical variations, including the presence of AMF, is important in planning surgical interventions of the mandible, to help prevent complications that could arise from inadequate preoperative assessments. This study represents the most extensive research on AMF within Iraq's two largest ethnic groups of the country, the Arabs and Kurds.