# Hippocrates Asserted That Temporomandibular Joint Dislocation Could Be Fatal if Not Reduced

## TL;DR

Hippocrates claimed that untreated temporomandibular joint dislocation could be fatal, possibly due to rare intracranial complications.

## Contribution

Reinterprets Hippocrates' account as an early clinical description of traumatic superior condylar dislocation with intracranial involvement.

## Key findings

- Hippocrates described fatal outcomes from untreated TMJ dislocation due to systemic complications.
- Contemporary reports show neurological sequelae and fatalities from superior TMJ dislocations.
- The account gains credibility when viewed through the lens of rare intracranial dislocations.

## Abstract

Hippocrates (ca. 460-370 BC), often referred to as the Father of Medicine, described several aspects of dentistry and maxillofacial surgery, including techniques for reducing temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dislocation. In his writings, he noted that untreated TMJ dislocation could be fatal within 10 days, attributing this outcome to systemic complications such as fever, coma, and gastrointestinal disturbances. Although this account has traditionally been considered controversial and was largely dismissed by subsequent physicians, it gains potential credibility when reconsidered in light of rare superior dislocations of the mandibular condyle into the middle cranial fossa. Contemporary reports have documented neurological sequelae and even fatalities associated with such superior TMJ dislocations. This perspective revisits Hippocrates’ original description, contrasts it with later medical interpretations, and suggests that his observation may represent one of the earliest clinical accounts of traumatic superior condylar dislocation with intracranial involvement.