• Dicarla Motta Magnani, Fernanda Chiarion Sassi, VanaLuiz Philipe MolinaLPMDivision of Plastic Surgery, Hospital das Clínicas, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Dr. Eneas de Carvalho Aguiar, 255 - 8º andar sala 8128, São Paulo, SP CEP: 05403-900, Brazil. Electronic address: philipe@uol.co, Carlos Fontana, and Furquim de AndradeClaudia ReginaCRDepartment of Physiotherapy, Speech-language and Hearing Science and Occupational Therapy, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Rua Cipotânea, 51 - Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP CEP: 05360-160, Brazil. Elect.
• Division of Orofacial Myology, Hospital das Clínicas, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Rua Dr. Ovídeo Pires de Campos, 186, São Paulo, CEP: 05403-010 SP, Brazil. Electronic address: dicarla.magnani@hc.fm.usp.br.
• Burns. 2021 Mar 1; 47 (2): 439-446.

ObjectiveTo quantify the benefits of a functional oral rehabilitation program for impairment caused by full thickness orofacial and neck burns, comparing the effects of early and late intervention.MethodsAn observational cross-sectional study was conducted in a burn reference center over a two-year period. Patients with full thickness orofacial and neck burns were divided in two groups: Group 1 was composed by 14 patients who began the rehabilitation program 3-12 months after the burn injury; Group 2 was composed by 15 patients who began the rehabilitation program more than 12 months after the burn injury. Treatment was based on current strategies of non-surgical exercises for orofacial contracture management. Outcome measurements included an oral motor clinical evaluation and the assessment of the mandibular range of movement.ResultsThe functional rehabilitation program was effective in reestablishing the oral motor functions (i.e deficits reduced to approximately 15% when compared to the optimal possible scores) and in restoring horizontal mouth opening dimensions, with more than 70% of the patients presenting measurements within the expected normal limits at the end of treatment. Our results did not indicate differences in performance between the group of patients in neither set of assessments, i.e. pre and post treatment (p > 0.05).ConclusionThe results of this study indicate that non-invasive orofacial contracture management is effective for patients with orofacial and neck burns, including those with long term sequelae.Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

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