Natural course of temporomandibular disorders with low pain-related impairment: a 2-to-3-year follow-up study

• Published in: Journal of oral rehabilitation Vol. 40; no. 6; pp. 436 - 442
• Main Authors: Manfredini, D., Favero, L., Gregorini, G., Cocilovo, F., Guarda-Nardini, L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.06.2013
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Arthralgia - complications; Arthralgia - diagnosis; epidemiology; Facial Pain - complications; Facial Pain - diagnosis; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; natural course; Osteoarthritis - complications; Osteoarthritis - diagnosis; Pain Measurement; pain-related impairment; Prognosis; RDC/TMD; temporomandibular disorders; Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome - complications; Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome - diagnosis
• ISSN: 0305-182X; 1365-2842; 1365-2842
• DOI: 10.1111/joor.12047

Summary To describe the natural course of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in patients with low levels of pain‐related impairment, independently by the physical diagnoses they received. Amongst all patients who attended the TMD Clinic, University of Padova, Italy, during the year 2009, those who: (i) had Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (RDC/TMD) axis II Graded Chronic Pain Scale (GCPS) grade 0 or 1 scores, (ii) received counselling on their signs and symptoms at the time of their first visit and suggestions on how to self‐manage their symptoms, (iii) did not attend the Clinic since the time of their last visit and (iv) were visited by the same resident, were recalled for a follow‐up assessment during the period from September to December 2011. Sixty‐nine patients (79% females; mean age 47.4 ± 11.3 years; range 26–77) of 86 who were potentially eligible accepted to enter the study. The time span since the first visit ranged from 23 to 36 months. At the follow‐up assessment, the percentage of patients with muscle disorders decreased from 68.1% to 23.1%; disc displacement with reduction remained unchanged (52.1%), whilst the 5.7% of patients who had disc displacement without reduction with limited opening then showed absence of limitation; diagnoses related to other joint disorders decreased from 30.4% to 14.4% for arthralgia and from 27.5% to 24.6% for osteoarthritis/osteoarthrosis. In a sample of patients TMD with low pain‐related impairment followed up with a single recall assessment at 2‐to‐3 years, the natural course of disease was generally favourable.