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Mandibular asymmetry as a possible etiopathologic factor in temporomandibular disorder: a prospective cohort of 134 patients

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Abstract

Objectives

The present study aimed to investigate mandibular asymmetry as a possible etiopathologic factor in temporomandibular disorder (TMD).

Materials and methods

A prospective cross-sectional study of patients with dentofacial deformities seeking corrective orthognathic surgery was conducted. The pre-operative prevalence of TMD in patients with mandibular asymmetry and other dentofacial deformities was assessed using the Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) Axis I protocol.

Results

A total of 134 patients were recruited – 82 with mandibular asymmetry and 52 without. There was a significantly higher prevalence of TMD in those with mandibular asymmetry (67.1%; 95% CI 59 to 75%) compared to those without (40.4%; 95% CI 32 to 49%, p = 0.002). The overall pre-operative prevalence of TMD in this population of patients was 56.7% (95% CI 48 to 65%). Pain disorder only was present in 9.7%, TMJ disorder only in 29.9%, and both pain and TMJ disorders in 17.2%. The most prevalent type of TMD is disc displacement with reduction (77.6%), followed by myalgia (35.5%) and arthralgia (21.1%).

Conclusion

The prevalence of TMD in those with mandibular asymmetry was significantly higher than those without, suggesting that mandibular asymmetry could be a possible etiopathologic factor in TMD.

Clinical relevance

The significantly higher prevalence of temporomandibular disorder in those with mandibular asymmetry suggests that we need to be especially cognizant of this condition in our pre-operative, surgical, and post-operative management of this group of orthognathic patients.

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Funding

The work was supported by the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Aileen Qiu Jin Toh, Joshua Lue Hang Chan & Yiu Yan Leung

  2. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Prince Philip Dental Hospital, 34 Hospital Road, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Yiu Yan Leung

Authors
  1. Aileen Qiu Jin Toh
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  2. Joshua Lue Hang Chan
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  3. Yiu Yan Leung
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yiu Yan Leung.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee (HKU/HA HKW IRB UW 18-566) and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Toh, A.Q.J., Chan, J.L.H. & Leung, Y.Y. Mandibular asymmetry as a possible etiopathologic factor in temporomandibular disorder: a prospective cohort of 134 patients. Clin Oral Invest 25, 4445–4450 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-020-03756-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-020-03756-w

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