Peripheral Trauma Induced Dystonia or Post-Traumatic Syndrome?

The relationship between peripheral trauma and dystonia has been debated for more than a century but the issue still remains controversial. There are passionate supporters and detractors of the association and both the groups have their own arguments. This review aims to critically evaluate those arguments and presents current understanding of this association. In the process, the relevant case series and scientific papers exploring this subject have been discussed. Upon careful review of available literature coupled with their own experience, the authors believe that peripheral trauma can predispose to abnormal posturing of a body part after variable intervals. To call this posturing a "post-traumatic dystonia" might be premature and the term "post-traumatic syndrome" can be used instead. More work is needed to unravel the pathophysiology of this post-traumatic syndrome.