The presence probability of mandibular lingla and antilingula

The lingula and antilingula are crucial surgical landmarks for mandibular setback surgery. The purpose of study was to investigate the correlation of presence probability between lingual and antilingula.

A total of 180 cone-beam computed tomography sides were collected from 90 patients. The probability of absence of the lingula and antilingula was recorded with respect to the gender, mandible (unilateral and bilateral), and skeletal patterns (Class I, II, III); in addition, the correlations between these variables were analysed.

Of the 180 sides, 9 sides showed the absence of the lingula (5%) and 34 sides showed the absence of the antilingula (18.9%). Pearson's test revealed that the presence of the lingula and antilingula differed nonsignificantly with respect to gender and skeletal patterns, respectively. The bilateral presence of the lingula was observed in 16 sides (91.1%), and that of the antilingula was observed in 122 sides (67.8%). Pearson's test verified a significant correlation between the presence of the left and right lingula (P<0.05). By contrast, gender and skeletal patterns were nonsignificantly correlated with the presence of the lingula and antilingula. The presence of the lingula was also nonsignificantly correlated with that of the antilingula.

Gender and skeletal patterns were nonsignificantly correlated with the presence of the lingula and antilingula, respectively. The presence of the lingula was also nonsignificantly correlated with that of the antilingula. Consequently, lingula and antilingula cannot serve as the absolute standards for mandibular setback surgery.