Radiographic Evaluation of Nasopalatine and Infraorbital Canals in Geriatric Patients

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the morphologies of the nasopalatine canal (NPC) and infraorbital canal (IOC) in elderly patients using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to analyze their relationships with aging, gender, dental status, and maxillary sinus mucosal thickening. Material and Method CBCT data from 250 geriatric patients over 65 years of age were retrospectively analyzed. NPC was examined in the sagittal plane, and IOC in the coronal plane. Patients with a history of trauma, pathology, or surgery in the maxillary bone were excluded from the study. The Chi-square test was used to evaluate the distribution of categorical differences between groups, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Based on their position on the maxillary sinus wall in the coronal plane, IOCs were observed as 47.2 % (right and left) type 1, 48.4 % type 2, and 4.4 % type 3. NPC morphology evaluated in the sagittal plane was found to be 54% cylindrical, 23.2 % conical, 8.4 % hourglass-shaped, 6.4 % tree branch-shaped, 6 % banana-shaped, and 5.6 % funnel-shaped. A significant correlation was observed between NPC morphology and gender, and between IOC type and age (p < 0.05). Conclusion Age-related osteoporosis, progressive alveolar bone resorption, and edentulism can alter maxillary morphology and size. Clinicians should be aware of and consider these variations to prevent potential complications during anesthesia and surgical procedures in geriatric patients.

Keywords

• CBCT
• Infraorbital canals
• Geriatric patients
• Nasopalatine canals

Supporting Institution

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-forprofit sectors.

Ethical Statement

Ethical Approval The study was approved by the Medical Research Ethics Committee of the University of Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam (Approval number: 2025/05). The study was conducted in line with the principles of the "Helsinki Declaration" Consent to Participate and Publish This retrospective observational study involved no human participation and was based solely on radiographic evaluations.

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