Alterações articulares e musculares da face em pacientes com Disfunção Temporomandibular

Abstract

The Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) has become a more frequent subject in scientific studies, because its dysfunction causes signs and symptoms that directly influence the quality of life of individual with Temporomandibular Dysdunction (TMD). The aim of this study was to identify the main biomechanical alterations in patients with TMD. We evaluated 49 patients with TMD. The variable of this study were: spontaneous pain and palpation pain, mouth opening amplitude and lateral excursions. A Chi-square test was performed to verify association between the variables. The most painful muscles on palpation were stylohyoid/posterior region of the digastric (41%), left lateral pterygoid (14%) and masseter (36,7%). It was also possible to observe that the range of motion of mouth opening and right and left lateral excursions were decreased in relation to that predicted in the literature. We conclude that the most important biomechanical changes in this sample were: amplitude reduction of mouth opening movement and lateral excursions, however with no associated with increased pain intensity.