Anatomy of the Posterior Superior Alveolar Artery: a Cone-Beam Computed Tomographic Study.

Introduction: Posterior superior alveolar artery (PSAA) is a major part of the circulation of the sinus floor. This study aimed to analyze the anatomy of PSAA in an Iranian population for the first time.
Methods: This study was performed on coronal CBCT slices of 400 hemimaxillae (1598 slices through premolar and molar areas), to evaluate the PSAA's prevalence, diameter, and its vertical distances from the sinus floor and the alveolar ridge. Potential associations between anatomical properties with age, gender, and maxilla sides were assessed statistically (α = 0.05, 0.0125).
Results: The PSAA was detected in 73.2% of all slices (58.5%, 79.6%, 71.5%, and 83.0%, in P1-M2 areas, respectively). The mean PSAA diameter was 0.83 ± 0.33 mm (95% CI 0.81-0.85; 0.96, 0.85, 0.80, and 0.74 mm, in P1-M2 areas, respectively). Canals > 2 mm in diameter were seen only in M1 (0.4%) and M2 (0.9%) areas. Conclusions: PSAA diameters were smaller in this population than all others, with very few large canals available. Although the average diameter increased in the anterior regions, large canals were not present in these regions. Males tended to have larger PSAAs. Age might not change canal parameters. Gender might affect canal diameter. Right/left sides are similar. © The Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India 2020.