[Recovery of infraorbital nerve iujury after middle facial fracture].

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the recovery of infraorbital nerve injury after middle facial fracture. METHODS: 28 patients with infraorbital nerve injury were examined in l month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months after operation by using sharp-blunt test, two-point discrimination,electric pain response test. The data were analyzed with SPSS12.0 software package for Student's t test. RESULTS: 25 cases (25 of 28) with injured nerve recovered normally.The average time of recovery was 25 weeks. The injured nerve didnot recover in 3 of 28. No chronic neuropathic pain was found. CONCLUSIONS: Most nerve dysfunctions following middle facial fracture are reversible and temporary,very few are permanent. If the injured nerve doesn't recover within 6 months, infraorbital nerve decompression may be selected to promote the recovery of the nerve function.