Gore-Tex tubing as a conduit for repair of lingual and inferior alveolar nerve continuity defects: a preliminary report.

PURPOSE: This report describes the results of using a Gore-Tex (Gore Company, Flagstaff, AZ) tube as a conduit for repair of continuity defects in the inferior alveolar or lingual nerves.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Seven nerve repairs were performed in five patients (M:F = 1:4) with an age range of 16 to 56 years. The duration from injury to repair ranged from 4 to 30 months. Two inferior alveolar and five lingual nerves were repaired.

RESULTS

All seven patients had anesthesia by objective testing preoperatively and had a continuity defect at the time of operation. The size of the defects ranged from 2 to 15 mm. Two of the seven patients had some return of sensation, occurring in defects of 3 mm or smaller.

CONCLUSION

The results of this pilot study indicate that Gore-Tex tubing may not be effective in the repair of continuity defects except in those defects 3 mm or smaller, in which it may act as a protective barrier membrane rather than as a conduit.