Dynamic Rehabilitation of Facial Nerve Injury: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

Currently, techniques have been attempted to achieve adequate dynamic facial reanimation of the paralyzed facial nerve. Despite the advances that have occurred in the last few years, it has been classically very difficult to achieve a House-Brackmann grade better than grade III. Outcomes are improving. Ultimately, the approach depends on the surgeon's experience.

Effects of the Number of Muscle-Nerve-Muscle Grafts on Rat Facial Nerve Functional Recovery

“…The IP group was used as the positive control because this technique has consistently been shown in the literature to be a reliable means of reinnervating muscles when primary nerve repair is not possible. [9][10][11][12][13] Successful reinnervation prevents muscle atrophy and allows the return of function, as demonstrated by the recovery of vibrissae movement and snout symmetry.…”

Twenty-Five-Year Outcomes of Treatment of Irreversible Facial Paralysis with Gillies and McLaughlin Techniques

“…Further studies have noted that facial reanimation using dynamic surgical techniques achieve better results than static operations but are often associated with higher risk of failure due to the complexity of the procedure [15, 16]. We found that facial reconstruction with single-stage dynamic muscle support techniques rarely achieved resting facial symmetry, and many patients later underwent subsequent reoperations for incomplete correction or malfunction of correction.…”

Muscle-Nerve-Muscle Grafting for Facial Reanimation in Rats

“…Despite advances in surgical techniques, facial reanimation seldom exceeds a House-Brackmann grade greater than grade III. 1-3…”