Trismus is generally defined as a complete or partial inability to open the mouth, caused by a spasm of the muscles of the temporomandibular joints. Patients afflicted with this dysfunction experience difficulty speaking, eating, or expressing emotions, which may, in turn, bring about the onset of typically psychological symptoms, e.g., decreased mood and perhaps depression.
Currently used physical therapy methods involve manual mandibular stretching and require full involvement of the therapist. The actual process is long and tedious. Increasing mandibular opening from 3 to 5 millimeters requires 30-minute daily therapy for 6 months.
The design was intended to improve the process of the physical therapy by automating the slow and incremental unclenching of the patient's jaw. The exercises performed are expected to stretch the muscles of the temporomandibular joints and thereby improve mandibular range of motion.
Advantages afforded by the device
Physical therapy with the aid of the device precludes the necessity for the physiotherapist to be present at all times, allowing them to attend to larger number of patients. Additionally, the reproducibility of the process is enhanced, and the therapist can control the force acting on the mandible with precision. Even more importantly, the device can be configured to ensure that the forced trajectory of the mandible best approximates the one naturally associated with the patient's unique anatomy, which significantly reduces the risk of discomfort and tissue damage during the therapy.
