NEUROGENIC DISLOCATION OF THE TEMPOROMAND IBULAR-JOINT DEFINITION ANDTHERAPY WITH BOTULINUM TOXIN

Dislocation of the temporomandibular joint results from trauma, articu lation disorders and changes in the equilibrium of the masticatory mus cles. Previous classifications were mostly oriented on the interrelati onships between the anatomical positions of the dislocated articular s urfaces,like luxation, subluxation and discus luxation. Etiologically, a distinction is made between traumatic and non-traumatic dislocation s. Dislocation of the temporomandibular joint is described as a compli cation of a number of neurological deseases. We report on a patient wh o suffered recurrent dislocations of the temporomandibular joint as a complication of multiple sclerosis and whose luxations were successful ly treated with botulinum toxin,thus warranting the introduction of th e term ''neurogenic dislocation of the temporomandibular joint''.