Temporomandibular Joint Disorders and Dislocation
Clinical Overview
Clinical Definition: Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMD/TMJ) comprise an array of debilitating functional and structural pathologies impacting the masticatory continuum. The quintessential acute Emergency Department presentation is the Acute Anterior TMJ Dislocation, delineating a structural entrapment where the mandibular condyle translocates anterior to the articular eminence, inflicting an open-mouthed mechanical lock coupled with severe muscular spasm. Clinical Significance: TMJ dislocation is an acutely stressful, highly painful functional emergency precluding the capability to occlude the dentition, articulate speech, or safely swallow. It inherently demands prompt physician competency in enacting swift, structurally safe anatomical reduction prior to the...
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