Nerve injury associated with orthognathic surgery. Part 1: UK practice and motor nerve injuries

The head and neck is anatomically complex, and several nerves are at risk during orthognathic operations. Some injuries to nerves are reported more commonly than others. To find out what consultant surgeons tell their patients about the prevalence of common nerve injuries before orthognathic operations, we did a postal survey of fellows of the British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (BAOMS). We also reviewed published papers to find out the reported incidence of injuries to cranial motor nerves during orthognathic operations. Only injuries to the facial nerve were commonly reported, and we found only case reports about injuries to the oculomotor, abducens, and trochlear nerves. The risk of temporary facial nerve palsy reported was 0.30/100 nerves (95% CI 0.23 to 0.50) and permanent facial nerve palsy was 0.06/100 nerves (95% CI 0.02 to 0.15).