CONE-BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY-BASED MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF THE MANDIBULAR LINGULA AND ITS CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Abstract

Background: The mandibular lingula is a key bony landmark for inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) and mandibular ramus osteotomies, yet population-specific morphometric data for Indian patients derived from cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) remain limited. Aim: To determine the morphometric position of the mandibular lingula on CBCT and its correlation with age and gender in a Mumbai-based population. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study analysed 42 full-skull CBCT scans (84 rami; 21 males, 21 females; age 18–65 years) from the archives of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology. Five linear parameters—sigmoid notch-to-lingula (SNL), inferior ramus border-to-lingula (IBRL), anterior ramus border-to-lingula (ARL), posterior ramus border-to-lingula (PRL), and lingula length (LL)—were measured bilaterally using multiplanar reconstruction. Bilateral symmetry, gender comparison, and age correlation were assessed using independent t-tests and Pearson correlation (SPSS; p<0.05 significant). Results: Mean SNL, IBRL, ARL, PRL, and LL were 17.41–17.82, 29.33–30.01, 13.32–13.71, 13.88–14.22, and 8.55 9.10 mm respectively. No significant right–left differences were found in either sex (p>0.05). Males showed significantly greater IBRL bilaterally (right: 32.60 vs 27.43 mm, p=0.001; left: 31.73 vs 26.94 mm, p=0.001), and greater left-sided ARL, PRL, and LL (p<0.05). No parameter correlated significantly with age (all p>0.05). Conclusion: The mandibular lingula demonstrates bilateral symmetry, significant sexual dimorphism (particularly for IBRL), and dimensional stability across adulthood. These CBCT-derived normative values can guide safer, sex-specific IANB administration and osteotomy planning in this population.