Morphometric analysis on the rami of dentate and edentate mandibles and the influence of the rami on edentulism, using the image j software

Abstract

Introduction: Sexual differentiation through examining the skeleton or separate bones, such as the mandible, can be done using a series of morphological and measurement parameters. However, presence or absence of teeth, sex, racial miscegenation and biomechanical adaptations of the masticatory system are factors that can alter the shape of the mandible and, consequently, its morphometry. Objective: To conduct morphometric analysis on the rami of dentate and edentate mandibles and the influence of the rami on edentulism. Materials and methods: 100 dry adult mandibles were examined, of which 50 were male and 50 female. The mandibles were photographed using a camera that was attached to a static holder positioned at a distance of 20 cm from the object to be photographed. The images were digitalized and transferred to the Image J 1.42q software. This was used to measure the height of the coronoid process and the height and width of the mandibular rami. Results: There were significant differences in the morphometric measurements of the coronoid process height (CPH), ramus height (RH) and ramus width (RW) of the mandible in relation to sex, and also in relation to the age of the edentate and edentate mandibles. However, there were no significant differences in the CPH, RH and RW measurements, in relation to the presence or absence of teeth or between the right and left sides. Conclusion: Edentulism did not cause remodeling of the morphometric measurements of the CPH, RH and RW of the mandible, although these measurements were greater for the male sex.