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Baseline clinical and radiographic features are associated with long-term (8 years) signs/symptoms for subjects with diseased temporomandibular joint

Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan

*Correspondence to: Hiroshi Kurita, DDS, PhD, Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1, Asahi, Matsumoto, 390-8621, Japan; Email: hkurita{at}hsp.md.shinshu-u.ac.jp

Received 20 January 2006; revised 8 May 2006; accepted 18 June 2006

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which baseline clinical and radiographic features were associated with long-term outcomes in patients with temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD).

Methods: 49 patients with unilateral radiographically proven TMJD were available in this study. Self-reported long-term (mean 96.2 months) outcomes (current joint pain, maximum mouth opening and joint noise) after TMJD treatments were assessed by questionnaire. The impact of multiple initial clinical/radiographic findings (gender, age at first visit, time interval between first visit and questionnaire survey, treatment method, disc displacement, disc morphology, disc mobility, condylar bony change and morphology of the articular eminence) on the long-term outcomes was assessed using stepwise multiple regression and logistic regression analysis.

Results: Patient age at the first visit was significantly correlated with current joint pain. Disc mobility and morphology of the articular eminence were significantly correlated with current range of maximal mouth opening.

Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that patients who appeared symptomatic at a younger age or who initially had a fixed disc were the most likely to have recurrent or persisting clinical signs/symptoms of TMJD after 8 years.

Keywords: long-term prognosis; temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder; radiological finding; predictor