The mental ossicles: A narrative review - 27/11/25

Doi : 10.1016/j.morpho.2025.101057

S.K. Htike ^a, N. Kitagawa ^a,^⁎ , K. Fukino ^a, S. Ishii ^a,^b, N. Komune ^c, J.R. Sañudo ^d,^{^{1
Given his role as International Scientific Committee member, J.R. Sañudo had no involvement in the peer-review of this article and has no access to information regarding its peer-review.}}, R.S. Tubbs ^e,^f,^g,^h,^i,^j,^k, J. Iwanaga ^e,^f,^g,^h,^l,^m

^a Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Anatomy, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Science Tokyo, 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan

^b Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Orthodontics, Yokohama City University Hospital, Kanagawa, Japan

^c Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

^d Departamento de Anatomía y Embriología Humanas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

^e Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States

^f Department of Neurology, Clinical Neuroscience Research Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States

^g Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States

^h Department of Neurosurgery and Ochsner Neuroscience Institute, Ochsner Health System, New Orleans, LA, United States

ⁱ Department of Anatomical Sciences, St. George's University, St. George's, Grenada

^j Department of Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States

^k University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

^l Division of Gross and Clinical Anatomy, Department of Anatomy, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan

^m Dental and Oral Medical Center, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan

^⁎ Corresponding author.

Highlights

•	There are several patterns of prominence and visibility of the mental ossicles.
•	By the 15th week, Meckel's cartilages gradually collapse and are absorbed by invading osteogenic trabeculae. The remaining cartilage forms the “chondriola symphysea”. These cartilaginous tissues later transform into the mental ossicles; however, the role of the chondriola symphysea in forming the mental ossicles is controversial.
•	The mental ossicles are early contributors to the mental protuberance, influencing the chin morphology of the adult mandible.
•	Histologically, the mental ossicles appear to be cartilaginous tissue.

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Summary

The mental ossicles, or the ossicula mentalia , are small anatomical structures located at the midline between the left and right mandibular halves in infants. They appear between 6 and 7 weeks of gestational age and disappear before or shortly after birth. Although they play a crucial role in shaping the human chin in the developmental stage, the mental ossicles are rarely described in the scientific literature. In this paper, we searched the available literature on “PubMed” and “Google Scholar” databases. Search terms such as “mental ossicles”, “ossicula mentalia”, and “mental bones” were used, followed by backward citation tracking to do a full-text review. The objective of this narrative review is to discuss the mental ossicles and their occurrence, anatomical characteristics, embryological and histological findings. Understanding the mental ossicles in a human fetus play a critical role in the proper mandibular development and craniofacial symmetry.

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Keywords : Mental ossicles, Cartilage, Chin, Mandible, Ossification, Prenatal structures

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Anatomical characteristics

Embryological findings

Function and morphology during development

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Vol 109 - N° 367

Article 101057- décembre 2025 Retour au numéro

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The mental ossicles: A narrative review - 27/11/25

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