Effects of light-emitting diode (LED) therapy on sensory changes in the inferior alveolar nerve after surgical treatment of mandibular fractures: a randomized controlled trial

Purpose A randomized controlled trial was performed to evaluate the effects of light-emitting diode (LED) therapy on sensory changes in the inferior alveolar nerve after surgical treatment of mandibular fractures. Methods Patients admitted with surgically treated mandibular fractures between January 2018 and December 2019 were evaluated. Personal data, fracture location, fracture type, and dislocation degree were obtained. The cases were randomly allocated into two groups: LED therapy (LEDT) (57 points of 660 nm and 74 points of 850 nm, 6.4 mV/cm(2), and 7.64 J) with the use of a prototype device and control (CTRL). For 6 months, tactile and thermal tests were used in the mental region. Data were analyzed using the MannWhitney U test and likelihood ratio test (p <= 0.050). Results The study included 42 patients, 25 of whom had bilateral fractures and 17 had unilateral fractures, totaling 67 fractures. The mean values of the tactile and thermal sensitivity tests were lower in the LEDT group in all evaluation periods. There was a significant difference between the groups in the parasymphysis location, displacement < 5 mm, and intraoral access. Sensory changes were observed in 68.7% of all fractures upon admission, with 91.2% in the LEDT group and 78.8% in the CTRL group demonstrating complete remission during the final period of the study. Conclusion LED photobiomodulation accelerated the process of sensory change remission. There was an influence of the fracture location, degree of displacement, and surgical access, with a better response in the LEDT group.