Recovery of Sensation Over the Distribution of the Inferior Alveolar Nerve Following Mandibular Resection Without
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.
Purpose:
To assess the long-term recovery of sensation in the lower lip after mandibular resection without reconstruction of the inferior alveolar nerve.
Material And Methods:
Thirty patients who had mandibular resection carried out without reconstruction of the inferior alveolar nerve were examined after an interval ranging from 6 to 33 years.
Results:
Only 1 patient, seen 10 years after resection, was totally numb over the distribution of the inferior alveolar nerve. The other 29 patients had some return of sensation and many had a significant return, though it may take several years to reach the final result. Utilizing the MRC scale 70% of patients achieved S3 (return of superficial cutaneous pain and tactile sensibility without over response) CONCLUSION: This study can serve as a baseline for comparison with patients who have had mandibular resection with reconstruction of the inferior alveolar nerve to assess if this procedure improves the outcomes.
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