The Incisive Canal: A Comprehensive Review.

Cureus. 2018 Jul 30;10(7):e3069. doi: 10.7759/cureus.3069.

Lake S, Iwanaga J, Kikuta S, Oskouian RJ, Loukas M, Tubbs RS.

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Abstract

The incisive canal, also known as the nasopalatine canal, is an interosseous conduit through the anterior maxilla connecting the oral and nasal cavities. Within this canal lies the nasopalatine nerve and the vascular anastomosis between the greater palatine and sphenopalatine arteries. The embryology of the canal has led to interesting theories explaining its function. Efforts have been made to describe the morphometrics of the incisive canal by radiologic evaluation across sex and ethnicities. This paper aims to review the current literature on the embryology, anatomy, and clinical relevance of the incisive canal.

KEYWORDS:

dental implant; incisive canal; incisive canal cysts; maxillary incisive canal; nasopalatine canal; nasopalatine nerve block

Figure 1

Midsagittal plane of the cadaveric head.

Note the posterior septal branch of the sphenopalatine artery (blue arrows) passes through the incisive canal (white arrows).

Figure 2

Midsagittal plane of the incisive canal (arrows) on CBCT image.

ANS: anterior nasal spine; CBCT: cone-beam computed tomography

Figure 3

Axial plane of the incisive canal (arrow) on CBCT image.

CBCT: cone-beam computed tomography