CBCT evaluation of morphological characteristics of Nasopalatine canal and its related structure- A hospital based retrospective study.

Brief Background : To evaluate morphologic characteristics of Nasopalatine canal (NPC) and its relative position to Maxillary central incisor root using Cone Beam Computed Tomography. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study including 282 CBCT images divided into 5 groups: Group 1) 10 – 20 years, Group 2)21 – 30 years, Group 3)31 – 40years, Group 4)41 – 50 years, Group 5) above 51 years. The length and width of the canal were measured in sagittal section. Mesio-distal width of the canal and the distance between the Nasopalatine canal and maxillary central incisor roots at mid root (MR) and apex levels were measured in axial section. Statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 21.0.Mean and standard deviation were assessed for all measurements. The significance level for all the tests was set at P < 0.05. Results: The NPC length, incisive foramen width (IF) and the position of NPC to maxillary central incisor roots at midroot and apex levels showed significant difference among age groups. Gender influences NPC length, IF width, and distance of NPC to midroot of right maxillary central incisor with high statistical significance and influences Stenson’s foramen width to a certain extent (but not statistically significant). Summary and Conclusions: The NPC canal morphology showed significant variations and it is always necessary to evaluate NPC before any surgical interventions especially assessment of implant site to prevent any complications. Key Words: Maxillary central incisor, Cone Beam Computed Tomography, Tooth apex