Radiographic Determination of the Mandibular Foramen Location

Abstract: The mandibular foramen is an opening located on the medial surface of the mandible through which the inferior alveolar neurovascular bundle enters the mandibular canal. Accurate identification of the mandibular foramen has important diagnostic and therapeutic implications. The position of the mandibular foramen varies among individuals and is influenced by several factors, including age, sex, and anatomical characteristics of the mandible. This retrospective study included 91 panoramic radiographs obtained between 2023 and 2025 at the Central Dental Hospital, Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, using an HDX WILL panoramic device (DENTRI, Seoul, Korea). The images were selected according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Linear measurements were performed using ImageJ software with millimeter precision from the center of the mandibular foramen to anatomical landmarks of the mandibular ramus, including the anterior border, posterior border, mandibular notch, and inferior border of the mandible. The study was conducted with ethical approval (No. 2023/3-08), and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 27.0. The center of the mandibular foramen was located at a mean distance of 18.25 ± 2.89 mm from the posterior border of the mandibular ramus, 23.93 ± 3.36 mm from the anterior border of the mandibular ramus, 24.55 ± 3.63 mm from the deepest point of the mandibular notch, and 40.75 ± 4.55 mm from the inferior border of the mandible. When the relationship between the location of the mandibular foramen and gender was evaluated, the distance from the center of the mandibular foramen to the inferior border of the mandible was 2.34 ± 0.93 mm greater in males than in females, significantly. No significant differences were observed between age groups. The mandibular foramen is located in the posterior-superior region of the middle third of the mandibular ramus among Mongolian adults.