To assess the feasibility and safety of the Rasooli Technique, a lateral pterygoid muscle massage approach for reducing atraumatic anterior TMJ dislocation.
Approach:
Design and setting: Case series conducted over 3 months in 2024 at Sina Hospital.
Procedure: Three trained clinicians applied pressure and massage to the lateral pterygoid region using a thumb inside the buccal vestibule and an externally placed index finger. Up to two 2-minute attempts were allowed; standard reduction was used if the technique failed…
Follow-up: Patients were contacted at 2 weeks to assess complications, including pain, facial nerve injury, and local swelling or bruising.
Key Findings:
Eight patients were enrolled; mean age was 38.9 years.
The technique reduced dislocation in 6 of 8 patients, with a mean reduction time of 1.7 minutes.
No intraprocedural or postprocedural complications were reported among successful cases; no complications were reported at 2-week follow-up.
The two unsuccessful cases were reduced using standard methods with sedation.
Mean length of stay was 1.5 hours with the Rasooli Technique versus 3.5 hours with the standard method.
Interpretation:
The authors describe the technique as a muscle-release approach based on lateral pterygoid accessibility and the role of muscle relaxation in allowing posterior repositioning of the mandibular condyle. They note that the small sample limits interpretation of the length-of-stay comparison.
Limitations:
The case series included only eight patients.
The provided context does not report a randomized or controlled comparison.
The technique was used only when a trained clinician was continuously available; standard methods were used on other shifts.
