Risk factors for hypoesthesia following repair of facial fractures

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Publication date: Available online 16 May 2019

Source: Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology

Author(s): Jae Min Song, Sang Hun Shin, Jae Yeol Lee

Abstract

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of hypoesthesia in patients with facial bone fractures, and to identify the relationships between post-traumatic hypoesthesia and risk factors, including general and fracture-related characteristics.

Study Design

A total of 437 patients who underwent surgery for facial bone fractures were included. Clinical neurosensory testing was performed at different time points (post-trauma and 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months after surgery). The results of these assessments were compared between characteristics and fracture sites.

Results

The hypoesthesia incidences were highest in the mandible (19.1%), maxilla (18.3%), and orbit (8.5%). Sensation was recovered by 97.3% of all patients by 6 months after surgery. Risk factors for hypoesthesia were direct nerve injury (p = .002), distance (≤ 10 mm) between the fracture and nerve foramen (p = .002), the amount of bony displacement (p = .035), and age (p = .004). There were significant differences among the fracture sites.

Conclusions

Post-traumatic hypoesthesia increased temporarily after surgery but most patients recovered by 6 months postoperatively. Recovery from postoperative hypoesthesia was related to the fracture site and pattern. Cases in which the patient did not recover involved direct nerve injury.