Anatomical Study of Various Shapes of Mandibular Coronoid Process in Relation to Gender &Age

The Coronoid process is the anterior bony projected part of ramus of mandible giving attachment to two important muscles of mastication. The aim of our study was to observe the gender wise and age wise variation in the shape of coronoid process. The material for this study comprised of 92 (184 sides) dry human mandibles from the osteology bank of Anatomy Department , S.C.B Medical College ,Cuttack . The age and sex differentiating criteria were detailed in materials and methods.Three variants of coronoid process were evident with triangular being the highest 46.73%, rounded 35.3% and hook 17.93%. The incidence of triangular coronoid process predominates in adults and old age of either sex. Rounded was the highest in young and second highest in adult and old of either sex. The hook shaped coronoid process was more in males and older age but absent in younger age group. This comparative study will be beneficial for the Anthropologists, Forensic scientists and Reconstructive surgeons. As far as our knowledge goes this is the frontier study in the Eastern Indian Population.