MOTOR-VEHICLE ACCIDENTS AND TMDS - ASSESSING THE RELATIONSHIP

Patients involved in a motor vehicle accident, or MVA, may experience signs and symptoms suggesting temporomandibular joint or masticatory m uscle injury. Because there are no published clinical studies assessin g the potential relationship among reported variables suggesting injur y, examination findings, and crash impact and postural variables, the authors gathered data from 219 patients identifying TMD after an MVA. The results suggest that TMJ or masticatory muscle injury may be assoc iated with varying postural characteristics and impact events, includi ng speed, direction of impact and vehicular damage.