Orofacial contracture management outcomes following partial thickness facial burns

•Orofacial contracture management is beneficial post partial thickness burns.•Reduced vertical mouth opening persists post treatment in one quarter of cohort.•Mouth opening measurements allow assessment of treatment progress and outcome.

PurposeTo examine clinical outcomes following non-surgical exercise for contracture management post partial thickness orofacial burn.MethodsA cohort of 229 patients with partial thickness orofacial burn was recruited over 3 years. Orofacial contracture management combining exercise and stretching was initiated within 48 h of admission and continued until functional goals were consistently achieved. A second cohort of 120 healthy controls was recruited for normative comparison. Vertical and horizontal mouth opening measures were recorded at the start and completion of orofacial intervention for patients and once only for controls.ResultsAt commencement of intervention, participants with orofacial burns had significantly (p < 0.001) reduced vertical and horizontal mouth opening. Treatment duration averaged 30.7 days (SD = 52.3). Post treatment significant (p < 0.001) improvements in vertical and horizontal opening were noted. At treatment conclusion, a significant (p < 0.01) difference remained between the burns cohort and control group for vertical mouth opening, though horizontal mouth opening was now statistically comparable to the controls.ConclusionThis study supports positive outcomes following orofacial contracture management for patients with partial thickness orofacial burn. Despite this, some functional loss remained with patients demonstrating persistent reduced vertical mouth opening at conclusion of treatment compared to their healthy counterparts.