2016 Volume 31 Issue 1 Pages 51-57
To clarify the characteristics of temporomandibular joint dislocation in the elderly, we clinically studied 51 patients with temporomandibular joint dislocation, who had been treated at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hirosaki University, from April 2004 to March 2014（the past 10 years）. We investigated two groups of patients：a younger group （aged less than 65 years）and an elderly group（aged over 65 years）. The average age of the younger group（26 patients；11 men［42.3%］and 15 women［57.7%］）was 32.0 years. The average age of the elderly group（25 patients；5 men［20.0%］and 20 women［80.0%］）was 78.1 years. More patients in both groups were referred by medical clinics than by dental clinics（14 patients［53.8%］and 17 patients［68.0%］, respectively）. In the younger group, acute dislocation occurred in eight patients（30.8%）and onset triggered by yawning occurred in 10（38.5%）. In the elderly group, habitual dislocation occurred in 23 patients（92.0%）and the onset trigger was unclear in 17 cases（68.0%）. General complications were found in 13 patients（50.0%）in the younger group and 23（92.0%）in the elderly group. In the elderly group, mental nervous system disease was found in 13 patients（52.0%）, while cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage was found in 7（28.0%）. In the younger group, manual reduction and follow-up were conducted in 25 patients（96.2%）. Chin cup therapy was used in 12 patients（48.0%）in the elderly group to prevent dislocation. Patients in both groups obtained good treatment results.
