Does sensory retraining improve subjective rating of sensory impairment after bilateral sagittal split osteotomy?

Background: Sensory retraining could ameliorate neurosensory disturbance (NSD) resulting from the injury of the inferior alveolar nerve after a bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO). The aim of this study was to measure the effects of sensory retraining on NSD. Methods: A randomized, prospective, single-blinded clinical trial was conducted on consecutive patients with NSD resulting from a BSSO to correct skeletal class III malocclusion. The outcome measurement of sensory recovery was performed using a patient-centered survey assessed by the total score of questionnaire (TSQ) and visual analogue scale (VAS) at preoperation (T0), 1 week after surgery (T1), each month from 1 to 6 months after surgery (T2-T7), and 1 year after surgery (T8). Results: In total, 115 consecutive patients were randomized into a control group (56 patients without sensory retraining) or study group (59 patients with sensory retraining). TSQ and VAS values continually decreased from T1 to T8 in both groups. The study group tended to have lower, but not significantly lower, TSQ and VAS values than the control group at each postoperative time point. Women and men responded similarly to sensory retraining at each time point. The oldest patients did not respond well to sensory retraining, compared with the youngest patients, from T1 to T8, and this age effect evaluated by the VAS reached a significant difference at T7 and T8. Conclusion: NSD, assessed by the TSQ and VAS, continually decreased over time after the BSSO. Sensory retraining could improve NSD, but not significantly.