Evaluation of Sensorimotor Nerve Damage in Patients with Maxillofacial Trauma; a Single Center Experience

To evaluate sensorimotor nerve damage in patients with maxillofacial trauma referring to Taleghani hospital, Tehran, Iran.

This cross-sectional study was conducted during a 2-year period from 2014 to 2012 in Taleghani hospital of Tehran. We included a total number of 495 patients with maxillofacial trauma referring to our center during the study period. The demographic information, type of fracture, location of fracture and nerve injuries were assessed and recorded in each patients. The frequency of sensorimotor injuries in these patients was recorded. Data are presented as frequencies and proportions as appropriate.

Overall we included 495 patients with maxillofacial trauma with mean age of 31.5±13.8 years. There were 430 (86.9% men and in 65 (13.1%) women among the patients. The frequency of nerve injuries was 67.7% (336 patients). The mean age of the patients with nerve injuries was 33.4 ± 3.7 years. Marginal mandibular branch of facial nerve was the most common involved nerve being involved in 5 patients (1%). Regarding trigeminal nerve, the inferior alveolar branch (194 patients 39.1%) was the most common involved branch followed by infraorbital branch (135 patients 27.2%). Mandibular fracture was the most common injured bone being reported in 376 patient (75.9%) patients followed by zygomatic bone in 100 patient (20%).

The most frequent fracture occurred in mandible followed by zygoma and the most injured nerve was inferior alveolar nerve followed by infraorbital branch of trigeminal nerve. In facial nerve the marginal branch was the most involved nerve. The frequency of nerve injury and the male to female ratio was higher in the current study compared to the literature.