Prognosis in case of nerve disturbance after mandibular implant surgery in relation to computed tomography findings and symptoms

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the computed tomography (CT) imaging findings and clinical symptoms of patients who complained of neurosensory disturbances after mandibular implant surgery, and to investigate the relationships of these parameters with the prognosis for recovery. Methods CT scans were reviewed in 56 patients with nerve disturbance after mandibular implant surgery. Two oral radiologists classified the imaging findings into intrusion, contact, close, and separate groups according to the distance from the inferior border of the implant to the roof of the mandibular canal (MC). The symptoms of 56 patients were classified into 8 groups and the frequency of each group was investigated. Patients were categorized according to symptom improvement into no recovery and recovery groups, and the relationships of recovery with the CT classification and specific symptom groups were analyzed. Results Thirty-eight of the 56 nerve disturbance cases showed improvement. The close and separate groups in the CT classification had a strong tendency for recovery (90.9% and 81.8%, respectively) (P
Graphical Abstract