Bilateral incomplete mandibular canals: an embryological analysis of their possible etiology

Kanitin Rumpansuwon; Thewarid Berkban; Nutmethee Kruepunga; Wattana Weerachatyanukul; Somluk Asuvapongpatana; Arada Chaiyamoon; Benrita Jitaree; R. Shane Tubbs; Joe Iwanaga; Thanyaporn Senarai; Athikhun Suwannakhan

doi:10.1007/s00276-025-03749-y

Bilateral incomplete mandibular canals: an embryological analysis of their possible etiology

Kanitin Rumpansuwon
, Thewarid Berkban^*
, Nutmethee Kruepunga^*
, Wattana Weerachatyanukul
, Somluk Asuvapongpatana
, Arada Chaiyamoon
, Benrita Jitaree
, R. Shane Tubbs
, Joe Iwanaga
, Thanyaporn Senarai
, Athikhun Suwannakhan

^*Corresponding author for this work

Biomedical Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to report a previously undocumented anatomical variation of the mandible and investigate its developmental origin using embryological analysis.

Methods: Anatomical inspection and computed tomography were performed on a dried human mandible from a male cadaver of unknown age. Additionally, serial histological sections from a Carnegie Stage 23 human embryo were reconstructed in 3D model to examine the spatial relationships between the developing mandible and surrounding structures.

Results: The mandibular canal exhibited breaching of the medial wall into the lingual cortex on both sides. Computed tomography confirmed that the canals originated from the mandibular foramen and gave rise to the mental foramina at the medial third of the mandible. These defects were found along with a left-sided Stafne bone cavity. Embryological analysis revealed a close spatial proximity between the developing mandible, the inferior alveolar nerve, and the salivary glands, supporting the hypothesis that incomplete ossification could result from variant nerve positioning or glandular entrapment.

Conclusion: This study presents rare anatomical variations of the mandibular canal and their possible developmental mechanism. These findings have implications for radiological interpretation and surgical planning involving the mandible.

Original language	English
Article number	233
Number of pages	7
Journal	Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy
Volume	47
Issue number	1
Early online date	13 Oct 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-025-03749-y
Publication status	Published - Dec 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature 2025.

Keywords

Anatomical variation
Computed tomography
Mandible
Mandibular canal

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Surgery
Anatomy
Pathology and Forensic Medicine
Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging

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Cite this

Rumpansuwon, K., Berkban, T., Kruepunga, N., Weerachatyanukul, W., Asuvapongpatana, S., Chaiyamoon, A., Jitaree, B., Tubbs, R. S., Iwanaga, J., Senarai, T., & Suwannakhan, A. (2025). Bilateral incomplete mandibular canals: an embryological analysis of their possible etiology. Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 47(1), Article 233. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-025-03749-y

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abstract = "Purpose: This study aims to report a previously undocumented anatomical variation of the mandible and investigate its developmental origin using embryological analysis. Methods: Anatomical inspection and computed tomography were performed on a dried human mandible from a male cadaver of unknown age. Additionally, serial histological sections from a Carnegie Stage 23 human embryo were reconstructed in 3D model to examine the spatial relationships between the developing mandible and surrounding structures. Results: The mandibular canal exhibited breaching of the medial wall into the lingual cortex on both sides. Computed tomography confirmed that the canals originated from the mandibular foramen and gave rise to the mental foramina at the medial third of the mandible. These defects were found along with a left-sided Stafne bone cavity. Embryological analysis revealed a close spatial proximity between the developing mandible, the inferior alveolar nerve, and the salivary glands, supporting the hypothesis that incomplete ossification could result from variant nerve positioning or glandular entrapment. Conclusion: This study presents rare anatomical variations of the mandibular canal and their possible developmental mechanism. These findings have implications for radiological interpretation and surgical planning involving the mandible.",

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AU - Rumpansuwon, Kanitin

AU - Berkban, Thewarid

AU - Kruepunga, Nutmethee

AU - Weerachatyanukul, Wattana

AU - Asuvapongpatana, Somluk

AU - Chaiyamoon, Arada

AU - Jitaree, Benrita

AU - Tubbs, R. Shane

AU - Iwanaga, Joe

AU - Senarai, Thanyaporn

AU - Suwannakhan, Athikhun

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature 2025.

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - Purpose: This study aims to report a previously undocumented anatomical variation of the mandible and investigate its developmental origin using embryological analysis. Methods: Anatomical inspection and computed tomography were performed on a dried human mandible from a male cadaver of unknown age. Additionally, serial histological sections from a Carnegie Stage 23 human embryo were reconstructed in 3D model to examine the spatial relationships between the developing mandible and surrounding structures. Results: The mandibular canal exhibited breaching of the medial wall into the lingual cortex on both sides. Computed tomography confirmed that the canals originated from the mandibular foramen and gave rise to the mental foramina at the medial third of the mandible. These defects were found along with a left-sided Stafne bone cavity. Embryological analysis revealed a close spatial proximity between the developing mandible, the inferior alveolar nerve, and the salivary glands, supporting the hypothesis that incomplete ossification could result from variant nerve positioning or glandular entrapment. Conclusion: This study presents rare anatomical variations of the mandibular canal and their possible developmental mechanism. These findings have implications for radiological interpretation and surgical planning involving the mandible.

AB - Purpose: This study aims to report a previously undocumented anatomical variation of the mandible and investigate its developmental origin using embryological analysis. Methods: Anatomical inspection and computed tomography were performed on a dried human mandible from a male cadaver of unknown age. Additionally, serial histological sections from a Carnegie Stage 23 human embryo were reconstructed in 3D model to examine the spatial relationships between the developing mandible and surrounding structures. Results: The mandibular canal exhibited breaching of the medial wall into the lingual cortex on both sides. Computed tomography confirmed that the canals originated from the mandibular foramen and gave rise to the mental foramina at the medial third of the mandible. These defects were found along with a left-sided Stafne bone cavity. Embryological analysis revealed a close spatial proximity between the developing mandible, the inferior alveolar nerve, and the salivary glands, supporting the hypothesis that incomplete ossification could result from variant nerve positioning or glandular entrapment. Conclusion: This study presents rare anatomical variations of the mandibular canal and their possible developmental mechanism. These findings have implications for radiological interpretation and surgical planning involving the mandible.

KW - Anatomical variation

KW - Computed tomography

KW - Mandible

KW - Mandibular canal

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Bilateral incomplete mandibular canals: an embryological analysis of their possible etiology

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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