title: Comparison of different tests assessing neurosensory disturbances after bilateral sagittal split osteotomy.
abstract: Different methods of assessing functional impairment of the inferior alveolar nerve after sagittal split osteotomy were compared with subjective reports. Thirty patients were tested preoperatively as well as after four days, three weeks, three months, six months, and one year of follow up. All the patients underwent bilateral mandibular ramus sagittal split osteotomy. The sensation of the mandibular teeth was assessed by an electric vitality scanner. Other neurosensory assessments included light touch, two-point discrimination, tactile discrimination, and thermal discrimination. It was shown that electric sensibility-testing of mandibular teeth is a useful method for evaluating neurosensory disturbance after sagittal split osteotomy, and it correlated even better with the patient's subjective evaluation than the other tests used in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ylikontiola
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kinnunen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oikarinen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003791:Dental Pulp Test; D004568:Electrodiagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000379:methods*; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D061221:Trigeminal Nerve Injuries