Root and canal anatomy of mandibular first molars using micro-computed tomography: A systematic review

Abstract

Abstract Background A thorough understanding of root and canal anatomy is crucial for successful root canal treatment outcomes. This systematic review aims to explore the published micro-CT based literature about the anatomy of root and canal system in permanent mandibular first molars. Method An electronic search was performed on Web of science, PubMed, and Scopus. Published micro-CT journal articles in English that present the root and canal anatomy of permanent 2-rooted mandibular first molars were included. Data on study characteristics, objectives of interest, specifications of the studies, and micro-CT specifications were extracted following the PRISMA statement guidelines. Risk of bias assessment of the included studies was performed using Anatomical Quality Assessment (AQUA) tool. The extracted data were presented in tables or figures to present and synthesise the results. A meta-analysis was performed for the studies related to the prevalence of Vertucci's canal configurations, middle mesial canal (MMC) configurations, and Fan's isthmus types. Results Amongst 1358 identified studies, thirty met the inclusion criteria. In terms of the objectives, the selected studies showed high anatomical variability in mandibular first molars. Twenty-two (73%), 25 (83%), and 12 (40%) of the studies reported the population/ethnicity, micro-CT specifications, and ethical approval, respectively. 28 (93%) studies did not disclose the method of sample size estimation. In only 6 (20%) of the studies, the authors had calibrated the assessment approaches. Mostly, a potential risk of bias was reported in domain 1 (objective(s) and subject characteristics) and domain 3 (methodology characterization). Whilst, low risk was reported in domains 2 (study design), 4 (descriptive anatomy), and 5 (reporting of results). Meta-analysis results showed high levels of heterogeneity among the studies related to MMCs (I2 = 86%) and Fan's isthmus (I2 = 87%). As for the root canal configuration, pooled prevalence showed that Vertucci type IV and type I were the most prevalent in mesial and distal root canals, respectively. Conclusion There is a considerable heterogeneity in the methodological procedures used to study root canal anatomy in micro-CT studies, however, all involved studies showed that the root canal anatomy of the permanent mandibular first molar is highly variable. Protocol and registration The protocol of this systematic review was prospectively registered in the Open Science Framework database (https://osf.io) on 2022-06-20 with the registration number 10.17605/OSF.IO/EZP7K.