Premium
Canalis sinuosus : An Anatomic Repair that May Prevent Success of Dental Implants in Anterior Maxilla
Author(s) -
Lopes dos Santos Gabriela,
Ikuta Carla Renata Sanomiya,
Salzedas Leda Maria Pescinini,
Miyahara Glauco Issamu,
Tjioe Kellen Cristine
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of prosthodontics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.902
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1532-849X
pISSN - 1059-941X
DOI - 10.1111/jopr.13256
Subject(s) - medicine , neurovascular bundle , anterior maxilla , maxilla , dentistry , dental implant , inferior alveolar nerve , implant , surgery , molar
Canalis sinuosus (CS) is a neurovascular canal that corresponds to a small branch of the infraorbital canal. It contains the anterior superior alveolar nerve and vessels, supplying the anterior maxilla. Despite having been described 81 years ago, CS is not recognized by many dental practitioners and may be the cause of unintended injuries during dental procedures. The aims of this study are to report a case of a patient who suffered pain due to exposure of the CS, to provide a comprehensive review of other CS cases that were challenging to diagnose, and to propose guidelines for preoperative examination of patients undergoing surgical procedures in the anterior maxilla. The review of the literature revealed six cases, in addition to the one presented here, of unintended or potential damage to CS. Five out of seven cases were related to dental implant placement and resulted in postoperative pain and/or paresthesia. The dental implant was removed in 4 out of the 5 cases. This study reinforces the importance of awareness of CS by dental practitioners and provides a protocol for the preoperative examination of the patient to prevent avoidable injuries to CS.