Biglioli Federico, Allevi Fabiana, Colletti Giacomo, Lozza Alessandro
University of Milan, Maxillo-facial Surgery Department, San Paolo Hospital, Milan, Italy.
Neurophysiopathology Service, C. Mondino National Neurological Institute, Pavia, Italy.
Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2015 Nov;53(9):880-2. doi: 10.1016/j.bjoms.2015.09.001. Epub 2015 Sep 26.
The lingual nerve may be injured during oral procedures, usually during extraction of lower third molars. Patients often complain of numbness of the hemitongue postoperatively. If this persists for 3 months or more, microsurgical exploration and reconstruction of the lingual nerve is required, and better outcomes are achieved after early repair. After 18-24 months the production of axoplasmic fluid through the axons of the proximal stump is reduced, and neurorrhaphy between the proximal and distal stumps is not recommended. In such cases we suggest that a portion of the opposite lingual nerve should be used as an additional nerve source.
