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 muscle injury. Because there are no published clinical studies assessing the potential relationship among reported variables suggesting injury, 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 associated with varying postural characteristics and impact events, including speed, direction of impact and vehicular damage.