Evaluating Lingual Nerve Repair Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Lingual nerve (LN) injuries frequently occur during oral and maxillofacial procedures, causing significant neurosensory deficits.
• Microsurgical techniques for LN repair have advanced, necessitating a review of their efficacy and influencing factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the effectiveness of lingual nerve repair techniques.
• To identify factors influencing sensory recovery after lingual nerve repair.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review adhering to PRISMA guidelines was conducted.
• Studies published after 2000 reporting on lingual nerve repair were included.
• Primary outcome: sensory improvement via functional sensory recovery (FSR) or neurosensory testing (NST).

Main Results:

• 17 studies with 786 subjects were analyzed; most patients were female and injured during third molar extraction.
• High sensory improvement rates were observed: 88.8% with FSR and 88.6% with NST.
• Outcomes were not significantly influenced by sex or graft length (up to 70 mm); time to repair yielded mixed results.

Conclusions:

• Functional sensory recovery (FSR) is a superior, objective, and standardized measure for assessing lingual nerve repair outcomes.
• Lingual nerve repair demonstrates high rates of sensory improvement, typically within one year post-repair.
• Multiple repair techniques appear effective, though further research on the optimal timing of repair is warranted.