The mandibular canal is a structure of special interest, considering that its preservation during clinical procedures is vital. Given its location inside the bone, in vivo studies including X-rays and Cone Beam CT (CBCT) analysis are among the techniques required for an evaluation. The aim of this paper is to compare biometrics of the human mandibular canal from an anatomic dissection, with the morphometry of images obtained with CBCT. In this study, 216 measurements were obtained from cross sections carried out in the anterior, middle and posterior sectors of the mandibular canal in dry jaws, through CBCT images. Linear measurements of the mandibular canal were carried out using radiopaque markers that were arranged with respect to the outlying walls that correspond to the alveolar/residual, basal, internal and external corticals. The vertical and transverse diameters of the canal was measured, along with the distances between the alveolar/residual and basal cortex, and between the internal and external corticals. The average values of each of the linear measurements were obtained, both of the biometrics in the dry jaw and the morphometry performed in the CBCT. Then the statistical differences of each measurement (L1-L6 and D1-D2) between both techniques were determined, using the Pearson correlation test, where a very high positive correlation was obtained (p ›0.987). Additionally, it was determined that measurements are not affected by the sector of the analyzed channel (p ›0.987). The measurements made L1-L6 and D1-D2, no significant differences were found between the biometrics with respect to the morphometry measurements made in the CBCT images. Measures L4 and L5 are those that offer the lowest percentage differences with other research, due to lower absorption of the corticals involved.
KEY WORDS: Mandibular canal; Jaw; Cone Beam CT.
