External neurolysis of the lingual nerve

The lingual nerve is sometimes injured during the surgical removal of an impacted mandibular third molar. The level of sensory recovery was studied in 10 patients who underwent external neurolysis of the lingual nerve. The mean time from third molar surgery to neurolysis was 13.5 months (range 9-24 months). Seven of the 10 patients showed significant improvement, three patients regaining normal sensation. Three patients showed no improvement. These results show that external neurolysis should be considered for patients with altered sensation in the distribution of the lingual nerve.