Guided bone regeneration (GBR) requires a tension-free flap without damaging the collateral
circulation in order to secure better surgical outcomes. Topographical acknowledgment
of the muscular and neurovascular structures in the territory of the mandible can
prevent complications during lingual flap design. The lingual branch (LB) of the inferior
alveolar- or maxillary arteries is not well illustrated or described in the literature.
Nevertheless, it has an intimate relationship to the lingual nerve (LN) during ridge
augmentation and implant-related surgeries of the posterior mandible. Therefore, this
study aimed to clarify the morphology and topography of the LB related to GBR surgeries.
In the present human cadaveric study, the LB was analyzed in twelve hemimandibles
using latex injection and corrosion casting. We identified two types of LB based on
its origin and course. For both types, LB was found in a common connective tissue
sheath close to the LN's origin and supplied the nerve. Several anastomoses between
the LB and other arteries on the posterior lingual aspect of the mandible were observed.
The LB acted as an anatomical landmark in identifying LN at the posterior lingual
aspect of the mandible.
