Qualitative somatosensory evaluation of recipient and donor sites of subepithelial connective tissue grafts: a preliminary study

Objectives

The subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) plus coronal advanced flap is commonly evaluated by clinical parameters, but potential sensory changes (patients’ perception of painful or painless sensations) need to be further explored. This preliminary study aimed to qualitatively evaluate the somatosensory profile of recipient and palatal donor sites of SCTG.

Materials and methods

Sensory tests were applied at SCTG recipient and donor sites at baseline, after 3 and 6 months. A single calibrated examiner applied Douleur Neuropathique 4 questionnaire (DN4), qualitative sensory test (QualST), discriminating the areas as hypersensitive, hyposensitive or normosensitive, and two-point acuity test. Descriptive statistics, non-parametric Kruskal Wallis test for QualST evaluation and ANOVA for Two-point test (p < 0.05) were used.

Results

QualST revealed that recipient areas presented no significant differences in tactile, pressure and thermal tests. Brush test revealed hyposensitivity after 3 months (p = 0.03). In donor areas, only thermal evaluation showed a significant difference (p = 0.01), being hypersensitive after 3 months and hyposensitive after 6 months. At baseline, all evaluations in recipient and donor areas were normosensitive. According to DN4, no patient reported pain in recipient and donor sites. Non-painful sensory perception was reported as numbness in recipient (3.14% of patients) and donor (18.4%) areas. No significant differences were found for two-point acuity test values.

Conclusions

Somatosensory variations were observed in donor and recipient areas using qualitative tests, with no detection of painful sensations, only non-painful sensations of numbness and electric shock.

Clinical relevance

This preliminary study demonstrated that alterations of hypo- and hypersensitivity may occur in donor and recipient areas of gingival grafts. However, when present, these alterations were non-painful and did not impact oral functions.

Clinical registration

ReBEC #RBR-7zz3b6p.