Low-level laser effect in patients with neurosensory impairment of mandibular nerve after sagittal split ramus osteotomy: Randomized clinical trial, controlled by placebo

Objectives: Evaluate the effect on the application of low level laser therapy, in patients that have been previously intervened with a sagittal ramus split osteotomy and present neurosensory impairment due to this surgery, compared with placebo. Study Design: This preliminary study is a randomized clinical trial, with an experimental group (n=17) which received laser light and a control group (n=14), placebo. All participants received laser applications, divided after surgery in days 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 14, 21 and 28. Neurosensory impairment was evaluated clinically with 5 tests; visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and sensitivity, directional and 2 point discrimination, thermal discrimination, each one of them performed before and after surgery on day 1, and 1, 2 and 6 months. Participants and results evalu-ator were blinded to intervention. Variables were described with absolute frequencies, percentages and medians. Ordinal and dichotomous variables were compared with Mann Whitney's and Fisher's test respectively. Results: Results demonstrate clinical improvement in time, as well as in magnitude of neurosensory return for laser group; VAS for sensitivity reached 5 (normal), 10 participants recovered initial values for 2 point discrimination (62,5%) and 87,5% recovered directional discrimination at 6 months after surgery. General VAS for sensitivity showed 68,75% for laser group, compared with placebo 21,43% (p-value = (0.0095). Left side sensitivity (VAS) showed 3.25 and 4 medians for placebo and laser at 2 months, respectively (p-value = (0.004). Conclusions: Low-level laser therapy was benefcial for this group of patients on recovery of neurosensory impairment of mandibular nerve, compared to a placebo.