Effects on jaw function shortly after whiplash trauma

• Published in: Journal of oral rehabilitation 2017-12, Vol.44 (12), p.941-947
• Main Authors: Lampa, E., Wänman, A., Nordh, E., Häggman‐Henrikson, B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: accidents; Adult; Aged; Analysis of Variance; Case-Control Studies; Chewing; Disability Evaluation; facial pain; Facial Pain - etiology; Facial Pain - physiopathology; Fatigue; Female; Humans; iplash injuries; Jaw; Male; mastication; Mastication - physiology; Masticatory Muscles - physiopathology; Middle Aged; Muscles; Neck; Neck Muscles - physiopathology; neck pain; Pain; Pain Measurement; Range of Motion, Articular - physiology; Sensorimotor integration; Statistics, Nonparametric; Sweden; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders - etiology; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders - physiopathology; temporomandibular joint dysfunction syndrome; traffic; Trauma; whiplash injuries; Whiplash Injuries - complications; Whiplash Injuries - physiopathology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0305-182X; 1365-2842; 1365-2842
• DOI: 10.1111/joor.12571

Summary Normal jaw function involves muscles and joints of both jaw and neck. A whiplash trauma may disturb the integrated jaw‐neck sensory‐motor function and thereby impair chewing ability; however, it is not known if such impairment is present shortly after a neck trauma or develops over time. The aim was to evaluate jaw function after a recent whiplash trauma. Eighty cases (47 women) were examined within 1 month after a whiplash trauma and compared to 80 controls (47 women) without neck trauma. Participants completed the Jaw disability checklist (JDC) and Neck Disability Index (NDI) questionnaires and performed a 5‐minute chewing test. Elicited fatigue and pain during chewing were noted, and group differences were evaluated with Fisher's exact test and Mann‐Whitney U‐test. Compared to controls, cases had higher JDC (P