title: Tongue reinnervation by hypoglossal-lingual nerve transfer.
abstract: The morbidity associated with total glossectomy for treatment of base of tongue carcinomas provides the impetus to investigate techniques to salvage the uninvolved normal anterior tongue. This report describes a method of reinnervation of the anterior tongue using a hypoglossal-lingual transfer. In Cynomolgus monkeys, unilateral transfers with and without a subsequent muscle fillet resulted in reinnervation from the base to the tip of the tongue. It is proposed that hypoglossal-lingual nerve transfers be considered to allow sparing and return of function to the anterior tongue in conjunction with a resection of the tongue base. Additional experiments confirmed that the base of the tongue, like other midline muscles, has bilateral and separate innervation. The presence of a physiological lingual-hypoglossal reflex in the normal animal was documented.
authors.affiliation: Queensway General Hospital, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Weinberger
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Houlden
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Mackinnon
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Evans
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004576:Electromyography; D007002:Hypoglossal Nerve / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery*; D008036:Lingual Nerve / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery*; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D016067:Nerve Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014059:Tongue / Q000294:innervation* / Q000601:surgery