Clinical study on the etiology, differential diagnosis and treatment of trismus

Trismus is a common problem to most people experiencing at once in his or her life and to most dental practitioners experiencing frequently. It has a number of potential causes which are single factor or complex factors. Its treatment will depend on the cause. The purpose of this study was to discuss the causes of trismus condition and the various treatments available. This study was made by reviewing of collected data from 86 patients complained of trismus among patients who were diagnosed by TMD, tumor, infection including tetanus, soft tissue anomalies, bony fracture and ankylosis from Jan 2002 to Dec 2004 on department of oral and maxillofacial surgery at Pusan National University Hospital, South Korea. The clinical reviews regarding chief complaints, clinical characteristics, diagnostic examination, treatments and the results on the patients were given as follows. 1. The etiology of trismus commonly were derived from temporomandibular joint(TMJ) disorder, TMJ ankylosis, TMJ tumor, odontogenic maxillofacial infection, mandibular condylar fracture, tetanus. 2. The chief complaints of trismus patients were progressive mouth opening limitation, TMJ pain, malocclusion, facial asymmetry, retrognathic state. 3. Especially, for the differential diagnosis between the fibrous ankylosis and true bony ankylosis, computed tomogram (CT) was useful. Surgical gap arthroplasty on bony ankylosis patients was applied and the gain of mouth opening after operation was average 35.8 mm during 19 months. 4. The tetanus, rarely, also induced the trismus with the range of mouth opening less than 10 mm. The average serum level of tetanus anti-toxin was 0.02-0.04 IU/mL. The limitation of mouth opening was improved into average 38 mm on 4 weeks after injection of 10,000 units of tetanus immune globulin. 5. In the treatment of osteochondroma, TMD, odontogenic infection and fracture, and the others inducing trismus, to obtian the maximum result and decreased inadequate time and effort, it is important to finding the causes from the exact clinical examination and diagnosis.

Comparison of planar scintigraphy and bone SPECT with clinical findings and other imaging modalities in temporomandibular disorder patients / 대한구강악안면방사선학회지

PURPOSE: This study was performed to evaluate the diagnostic value of both planar and SPECT imagings by comparing the results with the clinical and other imaging modalities findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 578 joints with TMJ complaints were examined using planar scintigraphy and SPECT. The planar scintigraphy and SPECT findings were analyzed and compared to the clinical findings of pain, clicking, crepitus and limitation of mouth opening. Moreover we compared the accuracy of the planar scintigraphy and SPECT methods with the one of the panoramic, transcranial, tomographic and MR imaging methods. RESULTS: The planar scintigraphy and SPECT methods showed a high sensitivity of 0.76-0.84 and low specificity of 0.25-0.45 toward the clinical findings: pain, clicking, crepitus and mouth opening restriction. Simple radionuclide uptake ratio was high in each group of patients with pain, crepitus, limitation of mouth opening (p< 0.05) complaints, in each group with positive bone changes on panoramic, transcranial or tomographic images, and in disc displaced group. CONCLUSION: Although both planar and SPECT imagings have limited specificity, these techniques are sensitive for detection of internal derangement of the TMJ.

The characteristics on the dental emergency patients of wonju christian hospital for last 10 years

The appropriate care to the dental emergency patients is much important in the aspect of community dental service. To attain such a purpose, the sacred duty of the training of oral and maxillofacial surgeons is required. So, a retrospective study on the characteristics of dental injuries and diseases in emergency care unit will be very meaningful. This study was carried by reviewing the charts and radiographic films of 3,394 patients, treated for dental emergency at Wonju Christian Hospital, Republic of Korea, from January 1, 1993 to December 31, 2002. All patients were classified to 6 groups including trauma, toothache, infection, hemorrhage, TMJ disorder and the others. The clinical characteristics of diseases and treatment modalities according to each group were analyzed. The trauma (73.9%) was the most frequent cause in dental emergency patients, and acute toothache, odontogenic infection, oral hemorrhage, and TMJ disorder were next in order. Gender prediction was male (68%), there were many patients on May and December in the monthly frequency, and the most frequent age group was from 0 to 9 years. In the trauma group, male (68.6%) was predominant, and soft tissue injuries and primary closures were the most frequent type of injury and treatment. In jaw fractures, traffic accidents were the most cause and the weakest site was mandibular symphysis area, and mandibular angle, condy le, and body area were next in order. In the acute toothache group, the cause was dental pulpitis mostly and treatment for that was drug administration mainly. Buccal space abscess in infection group had the largest incidence (24.5%), and common treatments were incision and drainage and medications. In the hemorrhage group, a major cause was postoperative bleeding (60.3%) and hemostasis was obtained by pressure dressing, curettage and suture. For the TMJ disorder group, the peak incidence (63.8%) was shown in the post-traumatic myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome and its primary care was medication such as analgesics and sedatives. In the other group, the various specific symptoms were complained due to acute sialadenitis, trigeminal neuralgia, acute stomatitis, chemical burn, terminal stage neuritis of head and neck cancer, and foreign body aspiration. In conclusion, for the rapid and proper care of the emergency dental diseases, well-trained education should be presented to the intern and resident course of oral and maxillofacial surgery. And it is demanded that oral and maxillofacial surgeons must be prepared in knowledge and skill for such emergency care.

A Clinical Study in the Prognosis of the Temporomandibular disorder

This study is comprised of data obtained from the files of 346 patients with temporomandibular disorders. All patients were diagnosed, treated and followed in the Department of Dentistry at the Inha university hospital, Incheon, Korea. The patients had treated with medications, physical therapy, occlusal splint and arthrocentesis. The study data were obtained from the medical records and telephone interviews that were conducted by research assistants. The results were as follows 1. The patient's main complaint was pain(77%), and mouth opening limitation was 17%. 2. An analysis of the medical records of the 346 patients disclosed that 82% were improved and 17% had no improvement when they were dismissed. 1% of the patients had become worse during therapy. 3. A success rate of 82% was achieved when medication assisted physical therapy was included. In the current status at the telephone interview, 270 patients(89%) reported that they were doing well with 56% describing themselves as asymtomatic and 32% experiencing only minor residual or recurrent symptoms. 11% regarded themselves as unimproved and worse. 4. In the current status of the unsuccessfully treated patients by medications and physical therapy, 64% of patients were doing well(3% as asymptomatic and 56% as only minor residual or recurrent symptom). But 36% of patients was reported as unimproved and worse. 5. TMJ has a remarkable adaptive potential and TMJ disorder has a natural history of spontaneous fluctuations and favorable prognosis during the subsequent natural course. 6. In the treatment of the temporomandibular disorders, there is a treatment ladder, starting with the simplest and least expensive treatment, that is ascended until resolution of the patient's symptoms occur. These findings suggest that conservative reversible therapies are both sufficient and appropriate for management of temporomandibular disorder in most patients. Major alterations of mandibular position or dentoalveolar relationships do not appear to be necessary for obtaining either short term or long term success and therefore they can be generally regards as inappropriate treatment for this disorder. The fact that physical therapy is non-invasive and does not appear to be fraught with irreversible changes, makes it a very applicable vehicle in the area of clinical TMJ disorder management.