Lingual foramen around genial tubercle in adult Indian human mandibles

DR.NIMJE DIPTI A, DR.YADAV NISHA RB

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: The mandible has many unnamed accessory foramina present on the lingual surface, on or near the genial tubercles. The lingual foramen is situated in the midline and above the superior genial tubercles. Many Anatomical textbooks have failed to describe this foramen MATERIALS AND METHODS: 120 dried human adult mandibles of unknown sex were collected from department of Anatomy and examined for the presence of a foramen in the midline of the lingual surface in relation with the genial tubercles RESULT: A constant midline foramen situated above the superior genial tubercles was found to be present in 84 mandibles i.e. 70% of dried mandibles. Foramen situated below the inferior genial tubercles was seen in 5 mandibles i.e. 4.16% and foramen on the side of genial tubercles was seen in 3 mandibles i.e. 2.5%. 7 mandibles have shown more than one type of foramen around the genial tubercle i.e.5.83% CONCLUSION: The high incidence of this mandibular lingual foramen (70%) increase the attention over the ligual surface of the mandible due to its neurovascular contents.