关键词: 腭侧黏膜, 腭侧牙槽嵴骨突, 上颌磨牙区, 锥形束CT

Abstract: Objective    To measure and analyze the occurrence and characteristics of bony protuberances on the palatal alveolar ridge in the maxillary molar region in periodontally healthy populations using cone beam CT. Methods    A total of 295 periodontally healthy patients who had undergone cone beam CT examination at the Department of Oral Radiology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University（Affiliated Stomatological Hospital）between February 2022 and March 2023 were included in the analysis. Inspect all patients for the presence of alveolar ridge bony protuberances on the palatal side of the maxillary molar region. Measure the position of alveolar ridge bony protuberances and their corresponding mucosal thickness. In addition，analyze the differences in these indicators among different ethnic groups，genders，and ages. Results    The study found that 35.60%（105/295） of the patients had alveolar ridge bony protuberances on the palatal side of the maxillary molar region. The incidence of bony protuberances on the maxillary first，second，and third molars was 5.08%（15/295），30.17%（89/295）and 10.50%（31/295），respectively. The comparison of the incidence of palatal alveolar ridge bony protuberance between Uyghur and Han patients and between different genders revealed no statistically significant differences（all P > 0.05）. The distance from the alveolar ridge protuberance to the enamel bone boundary on the palatal side of the maxillary second molar was more distant in Uyghur patients than in Han Chinese patients，and the distance from the alveolar ridge protuberance to the enamel bone boundary on the palatal side of the maxillary second molar was more distant in male patients than in females，and the thickness of the mucous membrane of the bony protuberance on the palatal side of the maxillary second molar was greater in 18 - < 30 years old patients than in 40 -50 years old patients，the above differences being statistically significant （all P < 0.05）. The alveolar ridge bony protuberance position and mucosal thickness of the other teeth were not statistically different when compared among patients of different ethnicities，genders，and age groups（all P > 0.05）. Conclusion    Palatal alveolar ridge bony protuberance in the maxillary molar region can occur in multiple tooth positions and has a high incidence. The location of the bony protuberance of the palatal alveolar ridge of the maxillary second molar may be influenced by ethnicity and gender，and its mucosal thickness may be age-related，so detailed cone beam CT is recommended prior to soft-tissue grafting.

Key words: palatal mucosa, palatal alveolar protuberance, maxillary molar region, cone beam CT