Arch Craniofac Surg.  2019 Aug;20(4):223-227. 10.7181/acfs.2019.00234.

Trigeminal somatosensory evoked potential test as an evaluation tool for infraorbital nerve damage

• Hong WT
• Choi JH
• Kim JH
• Kim YH
• Yang CE
• Kim J
• Kim SW

• KMID: 2456812
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7181/acfs.2019.00234

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Neurosensory changes are frequently observed in the patients with mid-face fractures, and these symptoms are often caused by infraorbital nerve (ION) damage. Although ION damage is a relatively common phenomenon, there are no established and objective methods to evaluate it. The aim of this study was to test whether trigeminal somatosensory evoked potential (TSEP) could be used as a prognostic predictor of ION damage and TSEP testing was an objective method to evaluate ION injury.
METHODS
In this prospective TSEP study, 48 patients with unilateral mid-face fracture (only unilateral blow out fracture and unilateral zygomaticomaxillary fracture were included) and potential ION damages were enrolled. Both sides of the face were examined with TSEP and the non-traumatized side of the face was used as control. We calculated the latency difference between the affected and the unaffected sides.
RESULTS
Twenty-four patients recovered within 3 months, and 21 patients took more than 3 months to recover. The average latency difference between the affected side and unaffected side was 1.4 and 4.1 ms for the group that recovered within 3 months and the group that recovered after 3 months, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Patients who suffered ION damage showed prolonged latency when examined using the TSEP test. TSEP is an effective tool for evaluation of nerve injury and predicting the recovery of patients with ION damage.

Keyword

Evoked potentials, somatosensory; Orbital fractures; Trigeminal nerve injuries

MeSH Terms

Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory*
Humans
Methods
Orbital Fractures
Prospective Studies
Trigeminal Nerve Injuries