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Microanatomical and histological assessment of the content of superior genial spinal foramen and its bony canal

¹ Oral Imaging Centre and Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Medicine, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium; ² Department of Morphology, University of Limburg, Diepenbeek, Belgium; ³ Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium; ⁴ Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Limburg, Diepenbeek, Belgium

*Correspondence to: R Jacobs, Oral Imaging Center, Faculty of Medicine, KULeuven, Kapucijnenvoer 7, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; E-mail: reinhilde.jacobs{at}uz.kuleuven.be

Received 16 February 2005; accepted 23 April 2005

Objectives: To assess histologically the true content of the superior genial spinal foramen and to match these findings to the microanatomical canal content observed using high-resolution magnetic resonance images of the same region.

Methods: Ten human mandibular specimens were imaged using a 9.4 Tesla MRI unit. Afterwards, eight specimens were decalcified, embedded in paraffin and serially sectioned (7 µm) for histological examination; the remaining two were embedded in methylmethacrylate and sectioned (50–60 µm). All sections were examined using routine light microscopy to inspect the superior genial spinal foramen region and its content.

Results: Histological observations of the superior genial spinal foramen confirmed the presence of a well-defined neurovascular bundle, with branches of the lingual nerve and lingual artery. The canal had an average diameter exceeding 1 mm and could thus be considered significant.

Conclusions: The present study confirms the existence of a true superior genial spinal foramen's bony canal with neural and blood vessel content. These findings imply that surgical procedures should consider a proper preoperative assessment of the neurovascular trajectory of the superior genial spinal foramen.

Keywords: genial spine; high resolution MRI; microanatomy; mandible