Anatomy and Function of the Mandibular Canal
- The mandibular canal is a canal within the mandible.
- It contains the inferior alveolar nerve, inferior alveolar artery, and inferior alveolar vein.
- The canal runs obliquely downward and forward in the ramus.
- It then runs horizontally forward in the body of the mandible, under the alveoli.
- The mandibular canal communicates with the alveoli through small openings.

Branches and Connections of the Mandibular Canal
- The mandibular canal carries branches of the inferior alveolar nerve and artery.
- It is continuous with the mental foramen, which opens in the mental region of the mandible.
- The mental foramen carries the distal fibers of the inferior alveolar nerve as the mental nerve.
- The mandibular canal is also connected to the mandibular foramen on the medial aspect of the ramus.
- The mandibular nerve enters the mandibular foramen to become the inferior alveolar nerve.

Variations of the Mandibular Canal
- The retromolar canal is a common variant (~10% of canals) that terminates in the retromolar region.
- A bifid canal is another variation (~41% of canals) that may follow the course of the main mandibular canal before re-joining it or terminate at the apex of a tooth.
- An accessory mental foramen is another variant where the canal opens as an additional mental foramen.
- A trifid mandibular canal variation has also been described.

Clinical Implications and Complications
- The mandibular canal often runs close to the apices of the third molar tooth.
- During the removal of the third molar, the inferior alveolar nerve can be damaged, causing sensory disturbance.
- Care must be taken during the removal or root canal treatment of the second or first molar teeth to prevent nerve injury or extrusion of root canal filling materials.
- Bleeding may occur during surgery in the retromolar region due to the presence of the retromolar canal.
- Variations in the mandibular canal anatomy should be considered in dental procedures to avoid complications.

Additional Images and References
- Additional images of the mandibular nerve and bone can provide visual references for better understanding.
- References from Gray's Anatomy and other scientific articles are available for further study and research.
- The prevalence and characteristics of accessory mandibular canals have been studied using cone beam computed tomography.
- Prevalence studies have also been conducted on bifid and trifid mandibular canals using cone beam computed tomography.
- The clinical relevance of bifid and trifid mandibular canals has been explored in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Mandibular canal (Wikipedia)

In human anatomy, the mandibular canal is a canal within the mandible that contains the inferior alveolar nerve, inferior alveolar artery, and inferior alveolar vein. It runs obliquely downward and forward in the ramus, and then horizontally forward in the body, where it is placed under the alveoli and communicates with them by small openings.

Mandibular canal
The permanent teeth, viewed from the right. The external layer of bone has been partly removed and the maxillary sinus has been opened.
Details
Identifiers
Latin	Canalis mandibulae
MeSH	D000088263
TA98	A02.1.15.030
TA2	867
FMA	59473
Anatomical terms of bone [edit on Wikidata]

On arriving at the incisor teeth, it turns back to communicate with the mental foramen, giving off a small canal known as the mandibular incisive canal, which run to the cavities containing the incisor teeth. It carries branches of the inferior alveolar nerve and artery.

The mandibular canal is continuous with tow foramina: the mental foramen which opens in the mental region of the mandible and carried the distal fibres of the inferior alveolar nerve as the mental nerve; and the mandibular foramen on medial aspect of ramus, into which the mandibular nerve enters to become the inferior alveolar nerve. The mandibular canal often runs close to the apices of the third molar tooth, and the inferior alveolar nerve can become damaged during removal of this tooth, causing sensory disturbance in the distribution of the nerve. This is sometimes the case for the second or first molar teeth, and care must be taken during removal or root canal treatment in such cases to prevent nerve injury or extrusion of root canal filling materials.