[Posttraumatic dystonia. Review and legal aspects]

More attention should be paid to dystonia as a consequence of trauma, particularly with regard to legal aspects. The underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of dystonia following central or peripheral trauma are largely unknown. Hemidystonia after severe head trauma is regarded to be due to contralateral basal ganglia lesions, particularly of the putamen. Focal and segmental dystonias follow various kinds of peripheral trauma. Central synaptic reorganisation due to altered peripheral input may play a role in its genesis. Clinically, post-traumatic dystonia differs from the idiopathic disease by the presence of accompanying pain or causalgia, limitation of the range of movement up to fixed posture, and poor response to conventional pharmacotherapy. If an expert opinion is requested, it is important to ascertain the diagnosis clinically and by EMG. To establish the cause-and-effect relationship between trauma and movement disorder, the severity of the injury, time course, and anatomical relationship must be taken into consideration.