Retrospective evaluation of canalis sinuosus morphology by cone BEAM computed tomography

The canalis sinuosus, which branches from the infraorbital canal and carries the anterior superior alveolar nerve and vessels, is an anatomical structure of the anterior maxilla. Due to its neurovascular content, it is extremely important to have knowledge of all morphological, anatomical and radiological information about the canalis sinuosus in order to avoid the complications of misdiagnosis and treatment and surgical operations planned in the anterior maxilla. This study was planned to examine the presence, frequency and morphological features of anatomical variations of canalis sinuosus using cone beam computed tomography. Our study was carried out retrospectively on 1168 patients who met the inclusion criteria of 8966 patients whose images were taken by cone beam computed tomography for various reasons between 2015 and 2019 in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, İstanbul University. In our study; age, gender, protrusion of the infraorbital canal, presence/absence of canalis sinuosus, whether it is unilateral or bilateral and its number, presence/absence and number of accessory canals of canalis sinuosus, relationship with adjacent teeth, diameter of the accessory canal, diameter of the terminal canalis sinuosus, distance measurement parameters between canalis sinuosus bifurcation and buccal alveolar crest, between terminal canalis sinuosus and buccal alveolar crest, between accessory canal palatinal opening and nasal cavity floor and palatinal alveolar crest were analyzed. It has been determined that canalis sinuosus is bilaterally present in all case images, and accessory channels of canalis sinuosus are seen in 70,9% of the cases. It was determined that the most common location of the accessory canals was the maxillary central interdental region. It was observed that the diameter of the terminal canalis sinuosus was statistically significantly larger in males than females (p:0,007; p<0,05). In our study, it was concluded that the canalis sinuosus detected in all cases is not an anatomical variation, but a common anatomical structure regardless of age and gender, but it is an anatomical variation that can vary in terms of localization and prevalence in the anterior maxilla region of the accessory canals of canalis sinuosus.