Elucidation of relationship between lingual nerve three-dimensional corse and muscle gap by anatomical head CT.

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K10283
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 57060:Surgical dentistry-related
• Research Institution: Niigata University
• Principal Investigator: Katsumi Yuji 新潟大学, 歯学部, 非常勤研究員 (70600047)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 大島 勇人 新潟大学, 医歯学系, 教授 (70251824)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 舌神経 / 肉眼解剖 / 口腔外科 / 智歯抜歯 / 合併症 / 筋間隙

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A three-dimensional model of the lingual nerve and mandible could be created. The lingual nerve runs between the medial pterygoid muscle and the mandible, and then runs through the muscle space surrounded by the anterior margin of the medial pterygoid muscle, posterior margin of the mylohyoid muscle, lower margin of the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle, and medial margin of the styloglossus. The lingual nerve was particularly close to the bone between the anterior margin of the medial pterygoid muscle and the mylohyoid muscle, most of which ran in contact with the posterior margin of the mylohyoid muscle. It was clarified that the variation of the anteroposterior positional relationship between the medial pterygoid muscle and the mylohyoid muscle is involved in the morphology of the muscle gap. Therefore, it was considered possible to predict the running of the lingual nerve by observing the muscle gap in clinical CT.

Free Research Field

口腔外科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果による舌神経走向経路の解剖学的特徴と確立されたCT読影方法を臨床に周知することにより、実際の患者の単純CT上で筋間隙や顎舌骨筋線の観察を行うことにより患者固有の舌神経走向経路が判断可能となる。これにより、これまで困難とされた下顎智歯抜歯における術前のリスク判定や合併症回避の術式の選択が可能となるため、社会的貢献度は高いと考えられる。