Shifting the Spotlight From the Mandibular Condyle to the Coronoid Process: A Report of a Unique Case of Trifid Mandibular Coronoid Process
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Updated: Jul 30, 2025

Systematic Assessment of Mammalian Skull Specimens for Dental and Temporomandibular Joint Pathology
Published on: August 22, 2022
Archna Nagpal1, Anusha Vaddi2, Aditya Tadinada1
1Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, University of Connecticut, Farmington, USA.
Abstract:
The trifid mandibular coronoid process is an uncommon finding characterized by three projections arising from the mandibular ramus instead of a single triangular coronoid process. Previous authors reported cases of the bifid coronoid process. The authors referred to them as the bifid/second/double coronoid process. This article aims to report a unique case of a trifid coronoid process incidentally detected during radiographic evaluation for implant planning. This article also emphasizes the effectiveness of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) volume rendering as a valuable tool in demonstrating morphological variations such as the trifid coronoid process. In addition, we discussed possible etiologies for the trifid coronoid process. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of the trifid coronoid process.
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