title: Avoiding injury to the inferior alveolar nerve by routine use of intraoperative radiographs during implant placement.
abstract: Injury to the inferior alveolar nerve during implant placement in the posterior atrophic mandible is a rare but serious complication. Although a preoperative computerized tomography scan can help determine the distance from the alveolar ridge to the nerve canal, variables such as magnification errors, ridge anatomy, and operator technique can increase the chance for complications. The routine use of intraoperative periapical radiographs during the drilling sequence is an inexpensive and reliable tool, allowing the operator to confidently adjust the direction and depth of the implant during placement. Most important, it helps avoid the risk of injury to the inferior alveolar nerve in cases in which there is limited vertical alveolar bone. Using this technique for 21 implants placed in the posterior atrophic mandible, with less than 10 mm of vertical bone to the inferior alveolar nerve canal, the authors observed no incidents of postoperative paresthesia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, USC School of Dentistry, Los Angeles, California 90089-0641, USA. docburstein@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burstein
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mastin
authors.forename: Bach
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Le
mesh_terms: D020209:Cranial Nerve Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011861:Radiography, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D061221:Trigeminal Nerve Injuries