title: 3.0 Tesla MRI in the early evaluation of inferior alveolar nerve neurological complications after mandibular third molar extraction: a prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the use of 3.0 T MRI in the prognosis of inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) sensory disorders after mandibular third molar extraction, in the early post-operative period.
  
  
  METHODS
  343 IANs were examined before and 3 days after surgery. Two radiologists evaluated the course of the nerve and the relative signal intensity (RSI). Cohen's kappa coefficient (κ) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used to evaluate the interobserver (k = 0.891) and intra-observer variability (ICC = 0.927; 0.914, respectively). The IANs were divided into four groups on the basis of neurosensory disorders recovery time. ANOVA was used to evaluate the differences among the RSIs of the four groups, and multiple comparisons were performed with Tukey's range test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No differences in the course of IANs were found before and after surgery. In 280 IANs, no iatrogenic paraesthesia was found (Group A). 63 IANs showed a neurosensory impairment. 38 IANs showed recovery of post-operative paraesthesia at 3-month follow-up (Group B). 16 IANs showed a full recovery of iatrogenic paraesthesia at 6-month follow-up (Group C). Seven IANs displayed a full recovery at 12-month follow-up and two IANs showed persistence of neurosensory disorders at 18-month follow-up (Group D). The one-way ANOVA results indicated statistically significant difference among all groups (p < 0.05), except between Groups C and D (p = 0.504).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The early evaluation of RSI values represents a valid tool to determine the prognosis of IAN sensory disorders after mandibular third molar extraction.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, School of Dentistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cassetta
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pranno
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barchetti
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sorrentino
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lo Mele
keywords: inferior alveolar nerve; magnetic resonance imaging; oral surgery; third molar; trigeminal nerve injuries