Investigating the Anatomy and Anthropometric Analysis of the Optic Canal and Surrounding Structures in Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Images

The aim of this study was to investigate the anatomy and anthropometric analysis of the optic canal and surrounding structures in Cone-beam computed tomography images.

In this descriptive-analytical study carried out from Autumn 2020 to Summer 2020, CBCT images from 150 patients referred to a medical center in Tehran were selected. The shape and length of the optic canal, width of the midpoint of the canal, the dimensions of the orbital cavity and the distance between the optic canal and the nasal columella were measured. Data were analyzed using the t-test and one-way ANOVA analysis (p value < 0.05).

Shape of the canal on the right side was 64.7% funnel-shaped, 32% hourglass-shaped and 3.3% amorphous and on the left side, 64% funnel-shaped, 34.7% hourglass-shaped and 1.3% amorphous among individuals. The average canal length on the right side was significantly larger than the left side, but the mean width of the midpoint of the canal on the right side was significantly less than on the left side (p value < 0.001). The height of the orbital cavity on the right side was significantly shorter than on the left side (p value = 0.034), but the width of the orbital was not significantly different between the two sides (0.232). The distance between the nasion to the orbit end of the canal and the cranium end of the canal, as well as the distance between the nasal columella to the orbit end and the cranium end of the canal, were significantly longer in men than in women and also significantly less on the right side than on the left side (p value < 0.001).

Knowing the anatomy of the optic canal will help prevent unwanted complications.