ABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: End to end hypoglossal-facial nerve anastomosis (tt HFA) is a traditional technique for rehabilitation of facial palsy. The sacrifice of the hypoglossal nerve generates a paralysis and an atrophy of the tongue which is thought to lead to speech, chewing and swallowing disorders. In a previous study, we demonstrated that tt HFA does not lead to speech disorders (Gatignol et al 2003). OBJECTIVES: In this work, we were interested in the functional consequences of the lingual atrophy and in the possibilities of rehabilitation with early therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Nine patients were distributed in two groups, in one patients received a specific and early lingual rehabilitation in the other no specific treatment. These two groups (paired with control subjects) were subjected to a series of tests studying the motor function, the articulation (using palatograms). RESULTS: This study highlights the interest of early rehabilitation of the tongue in the first post-operative days. Early rehabilitation was associated with a reduction in lingual atrophy, an improvement in motility of the tongue thus generating a better management of saliva and stagnant food in the oral vestibule on the paralysed side.
