ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Journal of Maxillofacial Trauma 2014 December;3(3):53-9

Copyright © 2015 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Study of mental nerve injury in cases of fractured mandible

Basra B. K. ¹, Goyal R. ¹, Sachde J. P. ³, Amin H. ¹, Prajapati C. ¹, Agrawal A. ¹, Suri M. P. ², Shaikh M. F. ⁴

¹ Resident 2 Associate professor 3 Professor 4 Professor and Head of Department, Department of Plastic Surgery, B J Medical College and Associated Civil Hospital Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

AIM: Maxillofacial injuries are one of the most common injuries observed in polytrauma patients. Among maxillofacial injuries mandible bone is one of the most commonly fractured bones. The knowledge of the incidence and extent of post traumatic and postoperative sensory disturbances following surgical fracture repair is of significance for patient information, quality control and evaluation of medicolegal questions. In the present study, the incidence of mental nerve injury in mandibular fracture in the region of mental foramen) was assessed. The pattern of sensory function alteration (deterioration or recovery) after open reduction and internal fixation was also evaluated. To determine the incidence of mental nerve injury in patients with mandible fractures and in patients after open reduction & internal fixation of mandible fractures and to assess the deterioration or recovery of mental nerve after open reduction and internal fixation of mandible fractures.
METHODS: A prospective study was conducted at the department of Burns and Plastic surgery, B J Medical College and associated Civil hospital, Ahmedabad from January 2011 to September 2012.The study included 104 patients of mandibular fractures with defined predetermined selection criteria in order to reduce any confounding factors from the study.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Sensory disturbances were observed in 19.23% in the form of hypoesthesia, paraesthesia and anesthesia and the incidence of post-traumatic mental nerve injury (intraoperative finding) was 22.23%. At six months follow-up, the neurosensory deficit improved in all patients of postoperative loss of sensation but in none of the patients having preoperative loss of neurosensory function.