Inferior alveolar nerve injury and sensory rehabilitation of the lower lip

Objective. To review available data on the incidence and causes of damage to inferior alveolar nerve and methods for sensory rehabilitation of the lower lip and chin. Material and methods. The PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect databases (1990-2024) were screened regarding the issue of inferior alveolar nerve damage. All systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, controlled clinical trials, or retrospective/prospective studies were included. There are various surgical techniques for inferior alveolar nerve reconstruction, as well as sensory rehabilitation of the lower lip and submental skin. Case reports or case series were the most common. Results. To date, some techniques for inferior alveolar nerve reconstruction have been described and implemented in clinical practice, including neural autografts and allografts, biodegradable polyglycolic acid implants. Postoperative follow-up demonstrates sufficient effectiveness of these methods with gradual recovery of submental sensitivity after 3 months and lower lip after 10-24 months. Autologous nerve grating is the most effective for inferior alveolar nerve defect replacement over a length of up to 70 mm. Conclusion. Sensory rehabilitation of the lower lip after damage to inferior alveolar nerve requires further study and effective treatment.