INTRODUCTION: Fractures at the anterior transition zone of the mandible are one of the common fractures treated by oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Since this zone contains the mental nerve, one of the most common postoperative complications is mental nerve paresthesia.
OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the neurosensory disturbances of the mental nerve associated with the twin-fork-miniplate.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine patients with recent mandibular parasymphyseal-body fractures were treated using twin-fork mini-plates. The subjective and objective tests of the mental nerve were conducted after 24-hours, one, four, six, and twelve weeks. In addition, an electrophysiological study was done after one and half months to evaluate the mental nerve's amplitude, onset latency, and conduction velocity.
RESULTS: In the sixth postoperative week, none of the cases complained of numbness, and their response to the objective test was normal. The difference between the healthy and fractured sides was statistically insignificant regarding the sensory nerve amplitude, onset latency, and sensory conduction velocity.
CONCLUSIONS: The use of a twin-fork miniplate resulted in a satisfactory outcome in terms of reducing the disturbance of the mental nerve.