Clinic of Maxillofacial Surgery, Kaunas University of Medicine, Lithuania

Key words: infraorbital nerve, neuropathia, zygomatic fractures.

Summary. The authors have investigated functional state of infraorbital nerve of 479 patients with zygomatic fractures. The degree of nerve damage was evaluated according to changes of pain threshold during damaged nerve stimulation. It was estimated that in 64.3% of zygomatic fractures the infraorbital nerve was affected. The nerve damage degree could be mild, moderate and severe. In 43.18% of moderate and severe nerve damage cases the neuropathy develops. The symptoms, signs and treatment of neuropathy have been described.

The neuropathy with clinical symptoms as permanent soreness and paresthesias (itch, “running ant”, fibrillations of cheek tissues etc.) in the infraorbital nerve inervation zone occur to 43.18% of the patients after moderate and severe damage of the nerve.

The treatment of neuropathy was analysed. In cases of moderate and severe nerve damages, authors recommend to perform decompression of the nerve, because if not applied, the function of nerve does not recover.

Received 14 May 2001, accepted 21 June 2001