Non-Cochrane · aetiology · PM42666657
Association Between Mandibular Ramus Morphometry and Mandibular Third Molar Impaction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Salmani Nazanin, Shafaee Hooman, Abtahi Mostafa, et al. · International journal of dentistry · 2026 · PubMed · doi:10.1155/ijod/4403436
Findings
Population People (>17 years) with mandibular third molars assessed on panoramic radiographs
20 findings
| Impacted mandibular third molar | Erupted mandibular third molar | Mandibular ramus width (mm) Single radiographic assessment · Radiographic (panoramic) assessment | MD 0.66 [-0.74, 2.06] GRADE not reported 6 studies |
| Impacted mandibular third molar | Erupted mandibular third molar | Mandibular ramus height (mm) Single radiographic assessment · Radiographic (panoramic) assessment · Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis: omitting Jeevitha 2022 | MD -1.07 [-2.05, -0.10] GRADE not reported 8 studies |
| Impacted mandibular third molar | Erupted mandibular third molar | Mandibular ramus height (mm) Single radiographic assessment · Radiographic (panoramic) assessment · Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis: omitting Gümrükçü 2020 | MD -0.87 [-1.78, 0.04] GRADE not reported 8 studies |
| Impacted mandibular third molar | Erupted mandibular third molar | Mandibular ramus height (mm) Single radiographic assessment · Radiographic (panoramic) assessment · Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis: omitting Moshfeghi 2024 | MD -1.05 [-1.99, -0.11] GRADE not reported 8 studies |
| Impacted mandibular third molar | Erupted mandibular third molar | Mandibular ramus height (mm) Single radiographic assessment · Radiographic (panoramic) assessment | MD -1.03 [-1.85, -0.21] GRADE not reported 9 studies |
| Impacted mandibular third molar | Erupted mandibular third molar | Mandibular ramus height (mm) Single radiographic assessment · Radiographic (panoramic) assessment · Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis: omitting Gonca 2021 | MD -1.16 [-2.02, -0.30] GRADE not reported 8 studies |
| Impacted mandibular third molar | Erupted mandibular third molar | Mandibular ramus width (mm) Single radiographic assessment · Radiographic (panoramic) assessment · Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis: omitting Mummolo 2023 | MD 0.72 [-1.15, 2.58] GRADE not reported 5 studies |
| Impacted mandibular third molar | Erupted mandibular third molar | Mandibular ramus width (mm) Single radiographic assessment · Radiographic (panoramic) assessment · Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis: omitting Al-Gunaid 2019 | MD 1.04 [-0.31, 2.39] GRADE not reported 5 studies |
| Impacted mandibular third molar | Erupted mandibular third molar | Mandibular ramus height (mm) Single radiographic assessment · Radiographic (panoramic) assessment · Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis: omitting Kaya 2010 | MD -0.92 [-1.87, 0.02] GRADE not reported 8 studies |
| Impacted mandibular third molar | Erupted mandibular third molar | Mandibular ramus width (mm) Single radiographic assessment · Radiographic (panoramic) assessment · Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis: omitting Jeevitha 2022 | MD 0.20 [-1.07, 1.47] GRADE not reported 5 studies |
| Impacted mandibular third molar | Erupted mandibular third molar | Mandibular ramus height (mm) Single radiographic assessment · Radiographic (panoramic) assessment · Study design: case-control | MD -0.21 [-5.48, 5.06] GRADE not reported 2 studies |
| Impacted mandibular third molar | Erupted mandibular third molar | Mandibular ramus height (mm) Single radiographic assessment · Radiographic (panoramic) assessment · Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis: omitting Tsai 2005 | MD -1.28 [-1.90, -0.66] GRADE not reported 8 studies |
| Impacted mandibular third molar | Erupted mandibular third molar | Mandibular ramus width (mm) Single radiographic assessment · Radiographic (panoramic) assessment · Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis: omitting Kaya 2010 | MD 0.77 [-1.07, 2.60] GRADE not reported 5 studies |
| Impacted mandibular third molar | Erupted mandibular third molar | Mandibular ramus width (mm) Single radiographic assessment · Radiographic (panoramic) assessment · Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis: omitting Gonca 2021 | MD 0.72 [-1.09, 2.54] GRADE not reported 5 studies |
| Impacted mandibular third molar | Erupted mandibular third molar | Mandibular ramus height (mm) Single radiographic assessment · Radiographic (panoramic) assessment · Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis: omitting Mummolo 2023 | MD -0.87 [-1.78, 0.04] GRADE not reported 8 studies |
| Impacted mandibular third molar | Erupted mandibular third molar | Mandibular ramus height (mm) Single radiographic assessment · Radiographic (panoramic) assessment · Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis: omitting Shahraki 2023 | MD -1.03 [-1.97, -0.09] GRADE not reported 8 studies |
| Impacted mandibular third molar | Erupted mandibular third molar | Mandibular ramus height (mm) Single radiographic assessment · Radiographic (panoramic) assessment · Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis: omitting Al-Gunaid 2019 | MD -0.93 [-1.84, -0.02] GRADE not reported 8 studies |
| Impacted mandibular third molar | Erupted mandibular third molar | Mandibular ramus width (mm) Single radiographic assessment · Radiographic (panoramic) assessment · Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis: omitting Tsai 2005 | MD 0.46 [-1.21, 2.13] GRADE not reported 5 studies |
| Impacted mandibular third molar | Erupted mandibular third molar | Mandibular ramus width (mm) Single radiographic assessment · Radiographic (panoramic) assessment · Study design: retrospective | MD 0.21 [-1.67, 2.09] GRADE not reported 4 studies |
| Impacted mandibular third molar | Erupted mandibular third molar | Mandibular ramus height (mm) Single radiographic assessment · Radiographic (panoramic) assessment · Study design: retrospective | MD -1.31 [-2.57, -0.04] GRADE not reported 6 studies |
Included primary studies 11
Open in Studies| Study | Year | Also included by | Outcomes it informs here | Trial data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Gunaid 2019 Relationship of Mandibular Ramus Dimensions to Lower Third Molar Impaction. PMID:31494918 | 2019 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Al-Gunaid 2020 Sex-related variation in the dimensions of the mandibular ramus and its relationship with lower third molar impaction. PMID:32982633 | 2020 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Gonca 2021 Evaluation of mandibular morphologic measurements and trabecular structure among subgroups of impacted mandibular third molars. PMID:33870446 | 2022 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Gumrukcu 2021 Is there a relationship between third-molar impaction types and the dimensional/angular measurement values of posterior mandible according… PMID:31925627 | 2021 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Ibisoglu 2025 Is there a relationship between mandibular third molar impaction and mandibular morphology? PMID:40389860 | 2025 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Jeevitha 2022 Influence and Impact of Mandibular Ramal Dimensions on the Incidence of Lower Third Molar Impaction: A Prospective Study. PMID:36110757 | 2022 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Kaya 2010 Some morphological features related to mandibular third molar impaction DOI:10.4317/jced.2.e12 | 2010 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Moshfeghi 2024 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Mummolo 2023 Prediction of Mandibular Third Molar Impaction Using Linear and Angular Measurements in Young Adult Orthopantomograms DOI:10.3390/app13074637 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Shahraki 2023 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Tsai 2006 Factors associated with mandibular third molar eruption and impaction. PMID:16491963 | 2005 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
Review question
| Element | Planned (methods) | Found (results) |
|---|---|---|
| Population | Human participants undergoing radiographic assessment of mandibular third molars (impacted and erupted) | 3570 participants (n=3570) in 11 studies, older than 17 years; about 48.3% male |
| Intervention | Exposure: mandibular ramus height or width (impacted third molars) | Impacted mandibular third molars (9 studies for ramus height, 6 for ramus width in meta-analysis) |
| Comparison | Impacted versus erupted third molars; different impaction types; correlation analyses | Erupted mandibular third molars |
| Outcomes | Association between ramus dimensions and impaction: mean differences, correlation coefficients, odds ratios or regression parameters | Ramus height (9 studies) and ramus width (6 studies) as mean differences in mm |
| Study designs | Observational studies | 11 observational studies: retrospective, case-control, cross-sectional and one prospective; 8 low and 3 moderate risk of bias (JBI) |
| Timing | Not specified | Not specified |