We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Nerve Transposition Reanimates Paralyzed Face

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 05 Jul 2016
Print article
Image: According to new research, nerve transposition can restore facial tone and symmetry in patients with facial paralysis (Photo courtesy of UCLA / JAMA).
Image: According to new research, nerve transposition can restore facial tone and symmetry in patients with facial paralysis (Photo courtesy of UCLA / JAMA).
Mobilization and transposition of the intratemporal segment of the facial nerve can restore facial tone and symmetry, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA; USA) and Johns Hopkins University (JHU, Baltimore, MD, USA) conducted a case series study involving 20 patients with facial paralysis who underwent transposition of the intratemporal facial nerve for end-to-side coaptation to the hypoglossal nerve (known as the VII to XII technique) for facial reanimation. The main outcome measures included paralysis duration, facial tone and symmetry at rest and with smile, oral commissure excursion, post-reanimation volitional smile, and synkinesis.

The results showed that in 16 of the 17 patients available for follow-up there were improvements in facial symmetry at rest and during animation, with a median time for return of facial muscle tone of 7.3 months, instead of the median duration following facial paralysis of 11.4 months. There was a significant reduction in facial asymmetry and a significant increase in horizontal, vertical, overall lip excursion, and smile angle. None of the patients developed significant tongue atrophy, impaired tongue mobility, or dysfunction of speech or swallow. The study was published on June 23, 2016, in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.

“Mobilization of the intratemporal segment of the facial nerve provides adequate length for direct end-to-end coaptation to the hypoglossal nerve, and is effective in restoring facial tone and symmetry after facial paralysis,” concluded lead author Amit Kochhar, MD, of UCLA. “The resulting smile is symmetric or nearly symmetric in the majority of patients, with varying degree of dental show. The additional length provided by utilizing the intratemporal segment of the facial nerve reduces the deficits associated with complete hypoglossal division/splitting, and avoids the need for interposition grafts and multiple coaptation sites.”

The hypoglossal nerve is the twelfth cranial nerve, and innervates all extrinsic and intrinsic muscles of the tongue, except for the palatoglossus. It has long been an axonal source for reinnervation of facial nerve paralysis by hypoglossal-facial anastomosis. The procedure is considered the standard for reanimating the face when the proximal end of the facial nerve is not available, but the peripheral system is still viable.

Related Links:
University of California Los Angeles
Johns Hopkins University
Gold Member
12-Channel ECG
CM1200B
Gold Member
Solid State Kv/Dose Multi-Sensor
AGMS-DM+
Silver Member
Wireless Mobile ECG Recorder
NR-1207-3/NR-1207-E
New
Medical Oxygen Analyzer
MAXO2+AE

Print article

Channels

Critical Care

view channel
Image: The permeable wearable electronics developed for long-term biosignal monitoring (Photo courtesy of CityUHK)

Super Permeable Wearable Electronics Enable Long-Term Biosignal Monitoring

Wearable electronics have become integral to enhancing health and fitness by offering continuous tracking of physiological signals over extended periods. This monitoring is crucial for understanding an... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The newly-launched solution can transform operating room scheduling and boost utilization rates (Photo courtesy of Fujitsu)

Surgical Capacity Optimization Solution Helps Hospitals Boost OR Utilization

An innovative solution has the capability to transform surgical capacity utilization by targeting the root cause of surgical block time inefficiencies. Fujitsu Limited’s (Tokyo, Japan) Surgical Capacity... Read more

Health IT

view channel
Image: First ever institution-specific model provides significant performance advantage over current population-derived models (Photo courtesy of Mount Sinai)

Machine Learning Model Improves Mortality Risk Prediction for Cardiac Surgery Patients

Machine learning algorithms have been deployed to create predictive models in various medical fields, with some demonstrating improved outcomes compared to their standard-of-care counterparts.... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The PATHFAST hs-cTnI-II high-sensitivity troponin assay has been developed for the PATHFAST Biomarker Analyzer (Photo courtesy of Polymedco)

POC Myocardial Infarction Test Delivers Results in 17 Minutes

Chest pain is the second leading cause of emergency department (ED) visits by adults in the United States, generating over 7 million visits annually. In the event of a suspected heart attack, physicians... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.