Method: We determined the outcomes of 20 IAN transposition procedures in 12 consecutive patients at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The study included objective testing of sensory nerve function as well as subjective assessment by the participants.

Results: All subjects reported initial transient sensory disturbance. Objective testing after a minimum of 6 months revealed that, for each patient, affected sites had the same level of sensation as unoperated areas. Eighty percent of the patients said that the lower lip and chin felt normal. The others said that these structures did not feel exactly normal but that the difference was of no consequence.

Clinical Significance: It is concluded that IAN transposition can be safely and predictably performed with low risk to the mental nerve sensibility.