THE CHIN FORAMEN OF THE MELANODERM

The mental foramen is an important anatomical structure for oral practice. Knowledge of its anatomy is of twofold interest; it serves as a landmark in maxillofacial surgery and also carries important nerve structures. The current literature provides us with information obtained in Caucasians about its anatomy, yet we use it in our daily practice. Should these anthropometric data be considered in melanoderm surgery? To answer this question, we need to determine the morphological and morphometric characteristics of the mental foramen in Cameroonians and to highlight its mapping. CT images of the facial mass in 3D enabled us to carry out this study, at the end of which we observed some similarities, differences but also anatomical particularities specific to melanoderm subjects. In view of the results obtained, it would be wise to consider with caution the data described in the Western literature when performing surgery on the mandibulo-chinese block in melanoderm subjects.