Int. J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg.

2001; 30: 333–338

doi:10.1054/ijom.2001.0064, available online at http://www.idealibrary.com on

Research paper:
Dentoalveolar surgery

Anatomic position of the lingual F. W. Hölzle, K.-D. Wolff

Arzt für Mund-, Kiefer- und Gesichtschirurgie,
Plastische Operationen,
Knappschaftskrankenhaus, Klinikum der

nerve in the mandibular third Ruhr-Universitat, In der Schornau 23–25,

44892 Bochum

molar region with special

consideration of an atrophied
mandibular crest: an
anatomical study
F. W. Hölzle, K.-D. Wolff: Anatomic position of the lingual nerve in the mandibular
third molar region with special consideration of an atrophied mandibular crest: an
anatomical study. Int. J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg. 2001; 30: 333–338.  2001
International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

Abstract. The position of the lingual nerve in the mandibular third molar region
was measured and documented in 68 cadaver dissections (34 adult cadaver heads).
In 8.8% of the dissections, the lingual nerve was found at or above the level of the
alveolar crest. In the horizontal plane, the nerve contacted the lingual plate of the
third molar in 57.4% of the specimens. There was also a significant relationship
between the degree of mandibular crest atrophy and the distance from the nerve to
the molar region. The distance decreased with the degree of atrophy. There was no
Key words: third molar surgery; nerve injury;
significant difference between the two sides of the head. These results demonstrate lingual paresthesia; protection of the lingual
the vulnerability of the lingual nerve as it medially passes the mandibular third nerve; human anatomy.
molar and may help avoid lingual damage during surgery in the third molar and
retromolar region of the mandible. Accepted for publication 1 April 2001

The anatomic proximity of the lingual
nerve to the mandibular third molar
region plays an important role in plan-
ning and performing surgical interven-
tions in this area. Nerve injury is
possible during removal of the third
molars, osteotomy of the mandibular
branch, alveolar crest graft and by injec-
tion of local anaesthesia. Even excision
during tumour removal or the sequelae
of trauma may injure the nerve1,20,23.
There are also reports of lingual par-
0901-5027/01/040333+06 $35.00/0
esthesia after surgical insertion of
implants3.
The risk of damaging the lingual nerve
during mandibular wisdom tooth sur-
gery differs in the literature. Horch
reports an injury incidence of 0.05%10
and H 0.04%. About 250 000
wisdom teeth per year were removed in
the 1980’s in the old federal states of
Germany. An incidence of 0.05% means
125 nerve lesions per year. The prob-
ability of irreversible numbness and
 2001 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
hypogeusia of one half of the tongue is
calculated to be 1:2 million after local
anaesthesia9. The incidence of a persist-
ent sensory deficit after osteotomy is
reported to be 0.5–2% in English litera-
ture4,13,19. A-A gives an
11.5% incidence of reversible dysesthesia
after mandibular wisdom tooth surgery2.
Thus, extensive knowledge about the
position of nerves in the mandibular
third molar region is indispensable for
surgery in this area.
334 Hölzle et al.
A survey of the literature revealed that
virtually no detailed descriptions or
measurements of the lingual nerve in the
lower third molar region have been
reported for many years21. In 1984,
K & C were the
first to perform an exact quantitative
evaluation on cadaverous specimens and
to attempt atraumatic in vivo exposure
of the nerve in 256 wisdom tooth remov-
als to study its course medial to the
posterior alveolar crest in the retro-
molar region12. In 1995, P et al.
measured in three dimensions the exact
anatomic position of the lingual nerve
for the wisdom tooth region. For this,
they used a reproducible osseous point,
taking the dentulous jaw into account17.
There have not yet been any studies
considering alveolar crest atrophy in
addition to determining a reproducible
osseous point as a fixed point for meas-
uring and evaluating dental status.
Thus, the aim of this study was to
examine whether the lingual nerve has a
relatively higher or closer position to the
alveolar crest due to mandibular atrophy
and is therefore exposed to a higher
risk in surgery near the bone. Such an
additional risk is possible especially in
osteotomies or during implantation.
Moreover, the aim was to measure the
position of the nerve in the mandibular
third molar region in all three dimen-
sions and to examine it for bone contact.
Another objective was to determine the
distance of the lingual nerve to the typi-
cal incision in surgical wisdom tooth
removal.
According to N & H,
the lingual nerve either has a mono- or
oligofascicular structure in the pterygo-
mandibular space15. The nerve begins to
branch off medial to the posterior
molars and has a polyfascicular struc-
ture there. The point of ramification is
also examined in the present study and
placed in relation to a distal fixed point,
the mental foramen and the tooth region
in dentulous patients.
It was also necessary to check the
assertion by R & M that ana-
tomic lingual nerve variations are of
secondary importance18.
Material and methods
Thirty-four formalin-fixed heads were
divided sagittally. The 68 dissections
were prepared as follows: In dentulous
mandibles or in those with second
molars, a 1 cm long distal relieving inci-
sion was made in the direction of
the ascending mandibular branch. This
N. alveolaris inf.
N. mylohyoideus
N. lingualis
FK
K2
Foramen mentale
K1
Fig. 1. 3D-Illustration of the measured points and distances.
incision was marginally and mesially
lengthened in the lingual region. Starting
distally, the lingual mucosa and the peri-
osteum were removed with a bone rasp
in the mesial direction. The lingual nerve
was demonstrated by blunt dissection
but not exposed to prevent changing its
anatomic relationship to the adjacent
structures.
The anterior measuring points and
distances were recorded with a precision
vernier gage and those more distal and
difficult to reach were calipered with a
measuring compass. Stepwise dissection
was performed in such a way as to
reliably obtain measurements without
falsifying them by too great a change in
the anatomic site. Distances to the
nerves were measured from the bound-
ary of the nerve inclining towards the
other measuring point.
Since the oblique line of the ramus
mandibulae in the atrophied mandibular
crest is frequently very indistinct, it can-
not be used as an orientation or marking
aid. Thus, the reproducible transition site
of the horizontal to the vertical branch of
the ramus mandibulae is more or less
fixed as a retromolar pad and defined as
osseous measuring point A. Starting at
this point, the following measurements
were performed, which are demonstrated
by the illustration in Fig. 1:
+ The horizontal distance of the lingual
nerve to the lingual mandibular crest
surface at the level of point A.
+ The shortest distance of the lingual
nerve to point A in the sagittal plane
(defined as point B or segment AB).
B' A'
A
Distal
B incision
C
D
X
+ The distance of the lingual nerve to
point A in the vertical plane (defined
as point C or segment AC).
+ The medial bending point of the nerve
towards the tongue was defined as
Point D and the distance to point B
determined (segment BD).
+ The distance of the most cranial point
of the lingual nerve in its mandibular
course was measured to the upper
edge of the mandibular crest.
+ The point of ramification was deter-
mined and defined as point X.
+ A B was defined as the shortest dis-
tance of the lingual nerve to the clas-
sical incision in the surgical removal
of wisdom teeth. The soft tissue point
A was dependent on the nerve pos-
ition and was located on the incision
line of the distal relief.
+ The shape of the nerve was character-
ized as round, oval or flat and its
diameter was determined at point
C.
+ The height of the mandibular crest
was measured at the level of the
foramen mentale (K1) as well as at its
lowest point (K2). Moreover, the dis-
tance between the upper osseous edge
of the foramen mentale and that of
the mandibular crest (FK) was deter-
mined. The ratio FK to K1 was a
good, objectifiable indicator of the
degree of atrophy.
+ All measurements and the unilateral
position of the nerve were compared
to the opposite side and statistically
analyzed taking the tooth status into
consideration.

lingual
7.83 mm
N. lingualis
0.86 mm
Fig. 2. The frontal incision through the left third molar region shows the mean horizontal and
vertical distance of the lingual nerve to the lingual surface and the mandibular crest at the level
of the defined measurement point A.
Results
After statistically analyzing 1088
measurements, the following results were
obtained. The mean age of the prepared
cadavers was 78.82 years and the median
80 years. Standard deviation was 7.63
years; the youngest was 52 and the oldest
94 years. There were 19 female and 15
male corpses. Forty four mandible dis-
sections were edentulous; 10 had less and
14 more than 4 teeth.
The degree of mandibular crest atro-
phy was high in 10 cadavers, moderate
in 15 and slight in nine. The mean hori-
zontal distance of the lingual nerve to
the lingual mandibular crest surface at
the level of point A was 0.86 mm with a
standard deviation of 1.00 mm. In 57.4%
of the cases, the nerve had direct contact
with the bone. The greatest distance was
4 mm.
The mean vertical distance of the
nerve to point A was 7.83 mm with a
mean deviation of 1.65 mm. The dis-
tances ranged from 4.5 mm to 14 mm.
Figure 2 shows both the horizontal and
vertical distance of the nerve to point A.
The mean distance from point B to
point A in the sagittal plane was
5.97 mm with a standard deviation of
1.29 mm. The measurements ranged
from 2.5 mm to 10.5 mm. When the
nerve was closest to point A, point B was
always distal to A. The mean sagittal
distance of the nerve from point B up
to its medial bend toward the tongue
(segment BD) was 21.47 mm.
The shortest distance of the nerve over
its entire course from point A in the
mesial direction into the paralingual
space towards the upper edge of the
mandibular crest was a mean 5.91 mm
with a standard deviation of 2.3 mm and
considerable scattering of the values.
The maximal distance with a very deeply
coursing nerve was 12 mm. The nerve
was at or above the alveolar crest level in
four heads, two bilaterally, and thus in a
total of 8.82% of the cases (Fig. 3). This
very high and, therefore, exposed and
Anatomic position of the lingual nerve in the mandibular third molar region
buccal
mandibular crest
vulnerable nerve position significantly
correlated to the degree of mandibular
crest atrophy (right: P=0.003; left:
P=0.001). In this connection, one corpse
had a high atrophy in the area of the
lower first molar, with no teeth present
here, and there the nerve was only at the
level of the mandibular crest or even
1 mm above it on one side. Mandibular
crest atrophy could be measured and
thus objectified as a quotient of the
distance between the foramen mentale
and the upper edge of the mandibular
crest to the total height of the mandibu-
lar crest (FK/K1) at this site.
The shortest distance of the lingual
nerve to the distal relieving incision was
a mean 4.41 mm with a standard devia-
tion of 1.44 mm. The maximal distance
was 9 mm, and in one head specimen the
nerve was dissected by the distal reliev-
ing incision. The ramification site (X)
was a mean mesial distance of 20.62 mm
from point C. This point was 57.13% of
the distance between C and the foramen
mentale.
Fig. 3. Superficial and exposed right lingual nerve position in the mandibular crest with
pronounced atrophy and a fraction of the foramen-mandibular crest distance to the entire
mandibular crest height <20%. l: N. lingualis, m: N. mentalis, F: Foramen mentale, t: tongue.
335
The mean nerve diameter at point C
was 2.74 mm (range: 1.9 mm to 3.6 mm;
standard deviation: 0.3 mm). Fifty per-
cent of the nerves were oval, 32.3%
round and 17.7% rather flat. The shape
of the nerves did not correlate to the
distance from the mandibular bone.
Osseous mandibular crest height at
the level of the foramen mentale (K1)
was a mean 22.89 mm. Values ranged
from 11.8–32 mm with a standard devia-
tion of 4.44 mm. The lowest height of
the mandibular crest (K2) was always
farther distal and a mean of 2.7 mm
less than at the height of the foramen
mentale. The distance from the upper
edge of the foramen mentale to that of
the mandibular crest (FK) was a mean
of 8.97 mm with a maximum of
15.5 mm. On one side, the foramen men-
tale directly contacted the mandibular
crest, which only had a total height of
14 mm. The foramen-mandibular crest
distance was entered as 0 mm in the
calculations. The degree of mandibular
crest atrophy was determined as a ratio
of FK to K1. The ratio of the foramen-
upper mandibular crest edge distance to
the entire mandibular crest height at this
site was a mean 39.19%.
Dentulousness affects the nerve pos-
ition as follows: the nerve was closer to
point A in edentulous jaws and its mesial
distance from that point to the upper
mandibular crest edge was markedly
shorter in partially dentulous and
edentulous jaws.
Comparison of the means with one-
sided variance analysis followed by the
336 Hölzle et al.
Fig. 4. Double foramen mentale with two mental fascicles exiting from each. m: N. mentalis, F:
Foramen mentale, c: top view of mandibular crest.
Fig. 5. Nerve anastomosis between the mylohyoid and lingual nerves. l: N. lingualis, y: N.
mylohyoideus, a: nerve anastomosis, t: tongue, c: mandibular crest.
Scheffe test showed that the more dentu-
lous the jaw, the less marked the man-
dibular crest atrophy (right: P=0.02; left
P=0.06).
Pre-existing variations
One corpse had a double foramen men-
tale on one side. There were two mental
nerve fascicles exiting from each of the
foramina.
A bilateral double foramen mentale
was seen in one head specimen. On the
right side, two nerves each originated
from the foramina and, on the left, two
from the cranial and one from the
caudally located foramen (Fig. 4).
Two corpses had a unilateral nerve
anastomosis (as demonstrated in Fig. 5)
between the sensory lingual nerve and
the motor mylohyoid nerve from the
inferior alveolar nerve. This corresponds
to an incidence of just under 3%.
In these cases, there was a pronounced
anastomosis with a diameter of over
1 mm. In one case, the anastomotic
branch to the lingual nerve was larger
than the distal mylohyoid component.
The submandibular duct (of Wharton)
primarily crosses over the lingual nerve
in the premolar region. In one corpse,
the unilateral duct was tied off by
a network of lingual branches. In a
total of four corpses, Wharton’s duct
unilateral stayed deep in the floor of the
mouth and did not cross the lingual
nerve.
One cadaver unilaterally had an
extremely thin lingual nerve with a diam-
eter of 1.9 mm. In another corpse, the
lingual nerve showed very high uni-
lateral ramification and was double-
stranded at the level of point C. Two
cadavers each had an extremely deep
lingual nerve on one side at 12 mm from
the mandibular crest.
In one corpse, the hypoglossal nerve
was directly adjacent to the lingual nerve
and submandibular duct. A pronounced
paramandibular lipoma was seen in one
head dissection.
Discussion
After the lingual nerve passes through
the deep lateral facial region, it enters
the floor of the mouth between the man-
dibular branch and the medial pterygoid
muscle. Behind the dorsal edge of the
mylohyoid muscle, the sublingual space
is broadly connected to the submandibu-
lar space24. Like the styloglossus muscle,
the nerve is also at the aboral end of
the sublingual oral sinus at the level
of the lower third molar just beneath the
mucosa and is only separated by this and
some connective tissue7. Nerve injuries
in this region can predominately be
attributed to dental interventions and
the close spatial relationship of the nerve
to the wisdom tooth region24.
Numerous authors describe the nerve
but discuss the variability of its position
to a much lesser degree. Our measure-
ments quantify the position of the nerve
and provide information about its
incidence and range.
In the present study, the mean
distance of the lingual nerve to the
lingual mandibular crest surface is
0.86 mm1 mm at the level of point A.
The nerve directly contacted the bone in
57.4% and the greatest distance was
4 mm. K & C,
who also examined 34 heads, reported a
distance of 0.59 mm0.9 mm. There
was bone contact in 62% of the cases12.
In 20 head specimens, P et al.
found a horizontal distance of
3.45 mm1.48 mm. The values ranged
from 1.0 mm to 7.0 mm17. Using MRI,
M et al. examined the position of
the lingual nerve in 10 volunteers aged
21–35 years. All subjects had rudimen-
tary lower wisdom teeth and no maxillo-
facial surgery in their history. The
horizontal distance here to the lingual
aspect of the mandible in the wisdom

tooth region was 2.53 mm0.67 mm. In
five of the 20 cases (25%), the nerve
directly contacted the bone. The mean
vertical distance of the nerve to upper
mandibular crest edge was 2.75 mm
0.97 mm with range of 1.52–4.61 mm14.
In our study, the vertical distance was
7.83 mm with a standard deviation of
1.65 mm and a range of 4.5–14 mm.
P et al. found a vertical distance
of 8.32 mm (standard deviation:
4.05 mm)17. K & C-
 measured only 2.28 mm1.96 mm,
although the values extended from 2 mm
over to 7 mm below the crest12. All four
studies mentioned deal with the distance
of the nerve from the mandibular crest in
its further mesial course in the paralin-
gual space. In our study, the mean dis-
tance was 5.91 mm with a standard
deviation of 2.3 mm. There was a con-
siderable range of values with a maximal
distance of 12 mm, and, in a total of six
head dissections, the nerve was found at
or above the alveolar crest. The authors
largely agree on this finding. The per-
centage of nerves found at or above the
mandibular crest and thus particularly
endangered by this exposed position is
8.82% in our study, 10% in M et al.
using MRI, 15% in P et al. and
17.6% in K & C-
12,14,17. The latter even reported one
nerve that passed through the retro-
molar region 2 mm above the lingual
crest border at the level of the occlusal
surface of an impacted wisdom tooth
and would, thus, have certainly been
dissected by a classical incision12.
The mean distance of point B from
point A in the sagittal plane was
5.97 mm with a standard deviation of
1.29 mm. P et al. found a mean
distance of 4.45 mm with a standard
deviation of 1.48 mm17. At the shortest
distance from the nerve to point A, point
B was distal to point A in both studies.
The mean sagittal course of the nerve
from point B to its medial bend to-
wards the tongue (segment BD) was
27.7 mm5.69 mm in P et al. and
27.47 mm3.3 mm in our study17.
The shortest distance of the lingual
nerve to the distal relieving incision was
a mean 4.41 mm. In one head dissection,
the nerve was bisected by the distal
relieving incision. K &
C reported a situation with
similar superficial nerve course12.
H, who studied lingual
nerve damage in Schleswig-Holstein, the
northern part of Germany, from 1981 to
1986, determined that an incision too far
in the lingual direction promotes lingual
Anatomic position of the lingual nerve in the mandibular third molar region
nerve damage8. Our incision directly up
to the ascending branch is certainly the
most medial that should be selected. In
the surgical removal of wisdom teeth, it
facilitates distolingual exposure of the
mucoperiosteum flap and subsequent
mobilization of the tooth, but carries the
risk of a lingual lesion. In view of the
results, a more buccal relieving incision
is safer and is therefore recommended.
There is a clear discrepancy in the mean
nerve diameters given in the literature.
M et al. reported the lingual nerve
diameter to be 2.54 mm with a range of
1.58–3.13 mm. The shape of the nerve
was round in 45% of the cases, oval in
30% and flat in 25%14. K &
C found a mean nerve diam-
eter of 1.86 mm. The nerves were round
in 61.7% of the cases, oval in 17.6% and
flat in 20.5%. Three of the flat nerves
were only 0.5 mm thick. The shape did
not correlate to the distance from the
jaw bone12.
P et al. reported a mean nerve
diameter of 3.45 mm. The standard
deviation was 1.00 mm with a range of
2.5–4.5 mm17. The mean nerve diameter
in P et al. is 80% above that
reported by K & C-
. Moreover, lowest value found by
P et al. did not even reach the
mean value of K & C-
. In our study the mean diameter
was 2.74 mm with a standard deviation
of 0.3 mm. Values ranged from 1.9–
3.6 mm. The nerves were oval in 50.0%
of the cases, round in 32.3% and flat in
17.7%. The shape of the nerve did not
correlate to the distance from the
alveolar bone. Changes of shape of
nerves may be due to post-mortem arte-
facts and/or formalin fixation. To this
issue we neither found publications nor
experienced anatomists or pathologists.
To answer this question we looked at the
shape of the lingual nerve in 15 fresh
cadavers without fixative added. In this
30 nerves measured it was oval in 46.7%,
round in 33.3% and flat in 20.0%. We
therefore conclude the influence of post-
mortem formalin fixation on the shape
of the nerve as minimal.
The nerve started to ramify a mean of
20.62 mm mesially from point C. This
site was 57.13% of the distance between
C and the foramen mentale. In dentu-
lous jaws, ramification was primarily
located in the distal premolar region and
is thus somewhat mesial to the position
reported by N & H15.
This site is clinically relevant if, for
example, a sural nerve graft is required
for reconstruction of a nerve lesion.
337
Peripheral polyfascicular reconstruction
of the lingual nerve can be done in
individual cases and its fasciculus con-
nected to that of the sural nerve with a
perineural suture8.
The correlation between the position
of the lingual nerve to the upper man-
dibular crest edge and mandibular crest
atrophy has hitherto not been the subject
of extensive studies. Although this con-
nection seems obvious, it is not necessar-
ily the case. This study shows that the
extent of atrophy is related to age but
even more to edentulousness. However,
since there is often a loss of muscle tone
and connective tissue tension with
advanced age, the nerve may also
descend into the floor of the mouth and
thus not change its relative position to
the mandibular crest. Further studies are
necessary to confirm this connection.
The ratio of the foramen-upper man-
dibular crest edge to the entire mandibu-
lar crest height at this position is a very
suitable measure of mandibular crest
atrophy and agrees with the ‘prima
vista’ estimation of atrophy into ‘high’,
‘moderate’ and ‘slight’.
At this point it should be considered,
whether this method would also be
suited for radiological classification
based on pantomograms. One only has
to measure two lengths on the X-ray and
divide them. Manufacturers of X-ray
devices use different magnification fac-
tors. However, since both values are
placed in relationship to each other with
the same magnification, the ratio
remains constant and can thus be com-
pared to the diverse magnifications of
other pantomograms. In addition, the
foramen mentale is almost always clearly
visible and usually located between the
mandible premolars in dentulous jaws,
so that the teeth do not interfere with the
determination of the entire mandibular
crest height. This would provide a simple
method for classifying mandibular atro-
phy and promote understanding among
dentists.
A total of three double mental
foramina, each with a nerve exit, were
determined in 68 prepared mandibular
dissections. In two mandibular dissec-
tions, atrophy was so severe that the
mental nerve exited at the mandibular
crest.
It is exactly during abscess incision
that the mental nerve is easily dissected,
since there is no visualization as in other
operations like apicectomy11. A pre-
operative X-ray should therefore always
be performed.
338 Hölzle et al.
In two corpses, there was a pro-
nounced nerve anastomosis on one side
between the sensory lingual nerve and
the motor mylohyoid nerve from the
inferior alveolar nerve, in one case with a
diameter of more than 1 mm. L &
W also report a fiber change
between these two nerves16,24.
B described very fine anatomical
branches between the lingual and mylo-
hyoid nerves5. S even refers
to ‘Bichat’s nerve’22. F also found
a connecting branch between these two
nerves6. R & M18, who studied
the course of the lingual nerve in 48 head
dissections, reported this connection in
eight cases, thus in a third of their study
specimens. They are of the opinion that
the mylohyoid nerve is a mixed nerve,
which gives off postganglionic vegetative
fibres from the anastomotic branch to
the lingual nerve. Due to the regularity
of this anastomosis, they spoke about an
‘ansa mylohyoidea’ or ‘ansa sublingua-
lis’. However, the rate of 2.94% in the
present study was less than a tenth of
the value reported by R & M18.
The high variability of the nerve bed in
the wisdom tooth region was demon-
strated by M et al. in their MRI
examinations in patients. There was no
correlation between measurements made
on the right or left side. In their opinion,
this underlines the vulnerable position of
this nerve during intraoral or maxillo-
facial surgery14. K & tive. Brossen Paris 1802, Nouvelle edi-
C also point out that the
surgeon cannot depend on the lingual
osseous lamella as a protective barrier
during wisdom tooth removal, since the
nerve may lie over the bone in the soft
tissue12. The incision, especially the dis-
tal relieving incision for wisdom tooth
osteotomy, should not be made medial
to the ascending branch because the
variability of the nerve and its possible
surface positions may cause a lesion. The
tangent to the distal surface of the third
molar is also suited as a guideline for
orientation. The incision should be made
at a 45 angle to this tangent in the
buccal direction. Moreover, during free
fraising of the lower wisdom tooth,
attention should be paid to the fact that
a raspatory should be pushed disto-
lingually between the periosteum and
bone in order to protect the periosteum
and lingual nerve9.
Furthermore, a relatively high
position of the nerves must be taken into
account for surgical interventions even
in the mesial paralingual region, if there
is marked mandibular crest atrophy.
This is not only true for oral surgical
procedures like osteotomies and
excisions but also for the insertion of
intraosseous implants.
Acknowledgments. The authors would
like to express their many thanks to
Professor Graf, M.D., from the Institute
of Anatomy of the Free University,
Berlin for providing the study specimens
as well as her kind support during the
entire study.
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Address:
Dr. med. Dr. med. dent.
Frank Hölzle
Klinik für Mund-, Kiefer- und Plastische
Gesichtschirurgie
Knappschaftskrankenhaus
Klinikum der Ruhr-Universität Bochum
In der Schornau 23–25
44892 Bochum
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 234-299 3500
Fax: +49 (0) 234-299 3509
E-mail: frank.hoelzle@ruhr-uni-bochum.de