Nerve Retraction During Inferior Alveolar Nerve Repositioning Procedure: A New Simple Method and Review of the Literature
Nerve repositioning surgery is one of the treatments chosen for the patients with edentulous posterior atrophic mandible. Like any other treatments, this therapy has its advantages and disadvantages, indications and contraindications. The most important complication of this procedure is neurosensory disturbance. This problem may occur at different stages of the treatment. One common time when nerve damage happens is when the nerve is located outside the canal and drilling and insertion of the implant are performed. Accordingly, this report describes a simple and feasible method to retract and protect nerves outside the canal during the treatment of nerve transposition. This will reduce the risk of nerve damage.
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Figure 2. A low-thickness wide elastic tape will be prepared and cautiously passed along the exposed and released nerve, exiting on the other side. Figure 3–5. By applying moderate force, the nerve moves away from the surgery site during the drilling and implant insertion. Figure 6. Contact between the nerve and the retractor should be in the form of (a) a contact area rather than (b) a contact point. Avoid forming a contact point between the retracting tape and the nerve.
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