Ultrasound identification and quantitative measurement of blood supply to the anterior part of the mandible

Objective. Recent studies suggest that the main blood supply to the bony chin may be through a single arterial branch of the 2 sublingual arteries that anastomose at the midline and penetrate the bone through the lingual foramen, approximately 13 mm from the lower border of the mandible. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the validity of this hypothesis in vivo, to identify clinically the main blood supply to the bony chin, and to measure its parameters: diameter of vessel, direction of flow, and its volume. Materials and method. Ultrasound/doppler measurements and periapical radiographs were taken on 20 healthy volunteers, randomly divided into 2 equal groups in order to compare the method's validity. In the first group, the lingual foramen was identified on periapical radiographs and then ultrasound/doppler measurements were performed. In the second group, this procedure was reversed. Results. Positive identification of the lingual foramina on the periapical radiograph was obtained in 13 subjects compared to 20 subjects by ultrasound/doppler examination. Blood volume measurements were obtained in only 17 subjects. The diameter of the artery was 0.18-1.8 mm and the blood flow from 0.7-3.7 mL/min. Conclusions. Ultrasound/doppler imaging is a reliable method to visualize and measure the blood supply to the bony chin. It can become an important tool in presurgical assessment of patients who undergo genioplastic procedures, vestibuloplasty, or insertion of dental implants.