title: Full thickness facial burns: Outcomes following orofacial rehabilitation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To document orofacial rehabilitation and outcomes after full thickness orofacial burn.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants included 12 consecutive patients presenting with full thickness orofacial burns. A group of 120 age-matched healthy participants was recruited for normative comparison. Non-surgical exercise was initiated within 48 h of admission and continued until wounds had healed, circumoral scar tissue had stabilised and functional goals were achieved to the best of the patient's ability. Outcomes were documented using vertical and horizontal mouth opening measures at start and end of treatment and therapy duration was recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At commencement of treatment, participants had significantly (p<0.001) reduced vertical and horizontal mouth opening range compared to controls. Average duration of orofacial contracture management was 550 days, with half requiring >2 years rehabilitation. By end of treatment, significant (p<0.01) positive improvement in vertical and horizontal mouth opening had been achieved, however measures had returned to lower limits of normal function and remained significantly (p<0.05) reduced compared to the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that although positive gains can be achieved through non-surgical exercise after full thickness burn, the duration of rehabilitation is considerable and some degree of long term loss in functional mouth opening remains.
authors.affiliation: Speech Pathology Department, Building 42, Hospital Road, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney NSW 2139, Australia; Burns Unit, Level 7 North, Hospital Road, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney NSW 2139, Australia. Electronic address: nicola.clayton@sswahs.nsw.gov.au.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Clayton
authors.affiliation: School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia; Centre for Functioning and Health Research, Queensland Health, Buranda QLD 4102, Australia.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.affiliation: Burns Unit, Level 7 North, Hospital Road, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney NSW 2139, Australia.
authors.forename: P K M
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Maitz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002056:Burns / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D003286:Contracture / Q000628:therapy*; D015444:Exercise; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth / Q000293:injuries*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D014945:Wound Healing; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Burns; Contracture; Orofacial; Outcomes; Treatment