Is Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block Beneficial in Fracture Mandibular Surgeries? A Randomised Controlled Trial

Opioid drug administration is a common technique to reduce pain from surgical trauma. However, the use of large doses of opioid drugs during and after surgery can be associated with an increased incidence of multiple side effects such as; ventilatory depression, sedation, nausea, vomiting, pruritus, difficult voiding and ileus.

In maxillofacial surgeries in which patients often receive maxillomandibular fixation these side effects are troublesome to the patient and at worst case scenario can cause a life-threatening complications. Ventilatory depression and vomiting are the most serious side effects especially in early postoperative hours. Various methods have been proposed to minimize these side effects. Nerve block with long-acting local anesthesia is a proposed technique in this regard.

In maxillofacial operations, bupivacaine is a highly efficient long-acting local anesthetic and has been used as a safe local anesthetic for neuroanalgesia after cleft lip operation or third molar surgery alone or in combination with low-power laser and diclofenac.

Inferior alveolar nerve block is considered as gold standard for sensory block of the hemi mandible. It can provide adequate anesthesia and analgesia for one side of the mandibular teeth and gingival mucosa, the body and inferior ramus of the mandible, the anterior two-thirds of the tongue and floor of the mouth cavity.

The inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) block is a widely used regional anaesthetic nerve block for the mandible. The most commonly used technique for IAN block is called the direct approach which include inserting the needle into the pterygomandibular raphae by penetrating the buccinators muscle. Once in this space, the aim is to inject the local anaesthetic solution besides the inferior alveolar nerve before it enters the mandibular foramen.