Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35626440›Full record

ArticleDiagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)2022

Reanimation of the Smile with Neuro-Vascular Anastomosed Gracilis Muscle: A Case Series.

Helen Abing, Carina Pick, Tabea Steffens, Jenny Shachi Sharma, Jens Peter Klußmann, Maria Grosheva

Open access · goldAbstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 23% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Helen AbingDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-8453-842X
Carina PickDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-5514-2167
Tabea SteffensDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany.
Jenny Shachi SharmaDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany.
Jens Peter KlußmannDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-8223-7954
Maria GroshevaDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-5985-468X
University of Cologne · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe aim of our manuscript was to evaluate the time course of clinical and electromyographical (EMG) reinnervation after the reanimation of the smile using a gracilis muscle transplant which is reinnervated with the masseteric nerve.

methodsWe present a case series of five patients with a longstanding peripheral facial palsy, who underwent a reanimation of the lower face using a gracilis muscle transplant with masseteric nerve reinnervation from June 2019 to October 2020. Trial-specific follow-up examinations were carried out every three months using clinical assessment and EMG, up to 12 months after the surgery. The grading was carried out using the House-Brackmann scale (HB), the Stennert Index, and a self-designed Likert-like scale for graft reinnervation and smile excursion.

resultsThe surgery was feasible in all of the patients. The reanimation was performed under general anesthesia in an inpatient setting. Postoperative complications which resulted in prolonged hospitalization occurred in two of the five patients. All of the patients showed a preoperative flaccid facial palsy. The first single reinnervation potentials were detected 3.1 ± 0.1 months after surgery. After 5.6 (±1.4) months, in three (3/5) patients, clear reinnervation patterns were present. Clinically, the patients obtained symmetry of the face at rest after 5.6 (±1.4) months, and could spontaneously smile without the co-activation of the jaw after an average time of 10.8 (±1.8) months. All of the patients were able to express a spontaneous emotion-stimulated smile after one year.

conclusionMicro-neurovascular gracilis muscle transfer reinnervated with a masseteric nerve is a sufficient and reliable rehabilitation technique for the lower face, and is performed as a single-stage surgery. The nerve supply via the masseteric nerve allows the very rapid and strong reinnervation of the graft, and results in a spontaneous smile within 10 months.

Indexed as

gracilis transferlongstanding facial palsymasseteric nerveneedle electromyographyoutcome

Identifiers

PMID35626440
PMCPMC9141135
OpenAlexW4281259333

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.