A study on the efficacy of late lingual nerve repair

The level of sensory recovery was studied in 13 consecutive patients who had undergone lingual nerve repair after a delay of 7-32 (mean 16) months since the initial injury. In all patients the damaged segment of nerve was excised and the cut ends directly apposed by 6-10 (mean 7) epineurial sutures. The final outcome was assessed 12-24 months after repair. Preoperatively none of the patients could detect light touch stimuli in the denervated area, whereas 10 patients could detect some stimuli after repair. Pin-prick was detected in 6 preoperatively and in some areas by all 13 patients after repair. Two-point discrimination thresholds decreased after repair in 10 patients and in four of these became the same as on the uninjured side. Gustatory stimuli showed that there had been some return of taste sensation in 6 patients, and there were responses to electrogustometry in 12 patients. The patients' subjective assessment of the value of repair (scale 0-10) ranged from 0-10 (median 7). These results show that most patients undergo significant and worthwhile recovery after late lingual nerve repair.