The mandible contains lingual foramina through which small arterial branches pass, making them vulnerable to injury during surgical procedures and potentially causing bleeding complications. This study aimed to map and categorize lingual foramina in dry cadaveric mandibles to provide practical anatomical information for minimizing perioperative hemorrhage. One hundred dry mandibles were examined to determine the number, size, and location of lingual foramina in relation to key landmarks: the genial tubercle, alveolar ridge, and alveolar process. Measurements were obtained using stainless steel wires and digital calipers. Cluster analysis grouped the foramina according to spatial patterns, while one-way ANOVA assessed differences in size across groups.
Lingual foramina with a diameter of ≥2 mm were observed in 96 mandibles, totaling 387 foramina (average 4.03 per mandible), while four mandibles had smaller foramina. Single foramina were rare (4.2%), and most mandibles had multiple openings (up to nine). The average diameter was 0.44 ± 0.02 mm. Distances from the genial tubercle, alveolar crest, and inferior mandibular border were 8.74 ± 0.54 mm, 14.19 ± 0.87 mm, and 14.53 ± 0.84 mm, respectively. Foramina were classified relative to the genial tubercle as right (7%), proximal (66%), superior (21%), or left (6%), with the superior group showing the largest mean diameter (0.52 ± 0.22 mm, p < 0.001). The lowest probability of encountering a foramen occurred at 13.0 ± 0.5 mm from the genial tubercle, indicating a safer region for surgical intervention. This detailed anatomical mapping of lingual foramina provides valuable information for preoperative planning and surgical safety in mandibular procedures, helping to reduce the risk of intraoperative bleeding.
