Beneficial Effects by Modification of Surgical Method and Intra-postoperative Care

Bilateral sagittal splitting osteotomy occasionally involve the paresthesia of the mental nerve area. In the present study, postoperative complication, especially neurosensory disturbance has been investigated after modificatioin of the surgical method and intra-postoperative care. According to patient questionnairing, the period of neurosensory disturbance was almost within 6 months for the participants who underwent the osteotomy, with the vertical line on premolar. But some of them suffered a neurosensory disturbance period of more than two years. After 1992, we changed the vertical osteotomy line from premolar to molar region. Recovery of thermoreception and nociceation were early, but most cases of nociceation was not abnormally shown. Mechanoreception recovered between 2 weeks and6months, and no patients suffered neurosensory disturbance longer than 6 months.In addition, the amount of setback was found to be related to the recovery period of neurosensory disturbance.