Nasopalatine canal morphology: CBCT review & nomenclature proposal

Abstract

Background: The nasopalatine canal (NPC), or incisive canal, is an interosseous conduit in the premaxilla, located just behind the maxillary central incisors. Its variations must be carefully considered in dental and oral surgical procedures, especially with the higher aesthetic considerations in the premaxilla. This study aims to assess the morphology of NPC and its variations across different populations while proposing a new classification system for naming and describing the NPC. Materials and methods: Following the PRISMA guidelines, the Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome format was applied to formulate the intensive question. An electronic literature search was conducted in Google Scholar by using the subsequent databases: Clarivate Analytics’ or ISI Web of Science, Elsevier’s Scopus, and PubMed (MEDLINE). No restriction was placed on studies after the 2013 publication year. The keywords used were NPC morphology, incisive canal morphology, incisive foramen, NPC foramen, NPC shape, incisive canal shape, incisive canal, and NPC. Outstanding full-text studies were assessed according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and appropriate reports were nominated. The collected data were analyzed and subjected to risk of bias and quality assessment. Results: Ten full-length papers with a total of 1697 participants are included. Among them, the cylindrical shape, slant-straight course, and single canal are the most commonly observed in both sagittal and coronal views. Conclusions: This review highlights the significant variability in the anatomical morphology of NPC across different populations, presenting challenges in establishing a standardized classification system. In order, the current study introduces a new, adaptable naming system to be utilized in education, research, and by clinicians during the description of the NPC anatomy.