Effect of topical dexamethasone in reducing dysfunction after facial nerve crush injury in the rat

ObjectiveTo date, the effect of topical steroid after a crush injury to rat facial nerve has rarely been reported on. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of topical dexamethasone on recovery after a crush injury to the rat facial nerve, by functional, electrophysiological, and morphological evaluation.Materials and methodsWe investigated the effects of topical dexamethasone on recovery after a crush injury to rat facial nerve by functional, electrophysiological and morphological evaluation.ResultsThe functional recovery using vibrissae movement was significantly high scores in the experimental group than control group at two and three weeks post-crush. The recovery of the threshold of muscle action potential was significantly lowered in the experimental group compared to the control (p < 0.05). However, there was no statistical significance in the nerve conduction velocity. The dexamethasone treatment groups showed a larger axon diameter and thicker myelin sheath than the control group.ConclusionFrom our results, topical dexamethasone accelerates recovery of the crush-injured facial nerve.