nerve repair

Using Fibrin Glue to Help Lingual Nerve Repair

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An interesting article titled “Use of Fibrin Glue as an Adjunct in the Repair of Lingual Nerve Injury: Case Report,” was written by Nicholas P. Theberge and Vincent B. Ziccardi and appears in the 2016 Journal of Oral and Maxilofacial Surgery (vol. 74, pp. 1899 e1-e4). The article describes a report of a case of a woman in her 20s who had an impacted wisdom tooth removed and developed left lingual nerve numbness and pain. She later had surgery with fibrin glue to help correct the lingual nerve injury. The article reports that most lingual nerve injuries after wisdom teeth removal occurs in 0.4% to 22% of cases. Such an injury can be detrimental to patients and lead to drooling, tongue biting, self-induced thermal injuries, and changes in speech, swallowing, and taste perception. Lingual nerve deficit has been reported to … Read more

Trigeminal Nerve Surgery for Neuropathic Pain

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An interesting article titled “Factors Determining Outcome After Trigeminal Nerve Surgery for Neuropathic Pain” appears in the July 2016 issue of Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery written by John R. Zuniga and David M. Yates. It is known that the inferior alveolar and lingual nerves which are part of the trigeminal nerves can be damaged after wisdom teeth surgery. Additional surgery can be performed to repair the trigeminal nerve but in some cases this injury remains and is only partially resolved. The others set out to better explore why neuropathic pain can persist after trigeminal nerve surgery. The study included 28 patients who underwent trigeminal nerve repair in Texas between 2006 and 2014. The patients were grouped into three different cohorts: 1) those who had no recurrence (NR) were any neuropathic pain went away, 2) those who had complete recurrence (CR) were the … Read more