Gore-Tex tubing as a conduit for repair of lingual and inferior alveolar nerve continuity defects: a preliminary report.
OBJECTIVE
This report describes the results of using a Gore-Tex (Gore Company, Flagstaff, AZ) tube as a conduit for repair of continuity defects in the inferior alveolar or lingual nerves.


METHODS
Seven nerve repairs were performed in five patients (M:F = 1:4) with an age range of 16 to 56 years. The duration from injury to repair ranged from 4 to 30 months. Two inferior alveolar and five lingual nerves were repaired.


RESULTS
All seven patients had anesthesia by objective testing preoperatively and had a continuity defect at the time of operation. The size of the defects ranged from 2 to 15 mm. Two of the seven patients had some return of sensation, occurring in defects of 3 mm or smaller.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this pilot study indicate that Gore-Tex tubing may not be effective in the repair of continuity defects except in those defects 3 mm or smaller, in which it may act as a protective barrier membrane rather than as a conduit.
Pogrel
M A
MA
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0440, USA.
McDonald
A R
AR
Kaban
L B
LB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006987:Hypesthesia / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D008036:Lingual Nerve / Q000601:surgery; D061222:Lingual Nerve Injuries; D008297:Male; D008337:Mandibular Fractures / Q000150:complications; D008340:Mandibular Nerve / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects; D017211:Treatment Failure; D061221:Trigeminal Nerve Injuries
D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene