Twin Block in Myogenous Orofacial Pain: Applied Anatomy, Technique Update, and Safety

• Published in: Anesthesia progress 2020-06, Vol.67 (2), p.103-106
• Main Authors: Quek, Samuel Y P, Gomes-Zagury, Julyana, Subramanian, Gayathri
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anatomy; Anesthetics; Blood vessels; Boundaries; Chronic pain; Clinical Technique; Dentistry; Facial Pain; Humans; Masseter Muscle; Muscles; Nerves; Pain; Prospective Studies; Safety; Twins
• ISSN: 0003-3006; 1878-7177
• DOI: 10.2344/anpr-67-01-03

The twin block, introduced in 2014, has proven to be more advantageous for the management of myogenous orofacial pain than the masseteric nerve block, which was introduced in 2009. The twin block is an extraoral nerve block injection which passes through the temporal fossa to anesthetize both the masseteric and the deep temporal nerves as they exit the infratemporal fossa at the infratemporal crest. Similar to the masseteric nerve block, the twin block has demonstrated efficacy with expeditious and sustained relief of myogenous face pain originating from the masseter muscle. Furthermore, in a 6-month prospective treatment study, that has been accepted for publication, the twin block has been demonstrated as comparable to trigger point injections in the management of chronic myofascial pain of masseteric origin. The twin block's ability to mitigate myogenous pain from both the masseter and temporalis muscles and its ease of administration are the key advantages over the masseteric nerve block. Since its inception, we have refined the technique for administering the twin block and our clinical experience corroborates its safety and efficacy. This review describes the refined technique and its safety in the context of the region's applied anatomy.