Abstract
Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a group of clinical problems affecting temporomandibular joint (TMJ), myofascial muscles and other related structures. Splint therapy is the most commonly used approach to treatment of TMD, but its effectiveness is remains unclear. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of splint therapy for TMD in adults. The electronic databases PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for reports published up to March 31, 2016. Thirteen eligible studies involving 538 patients were identified. The results indicated that splint therapy increased maximal mouth opening (MMO) for patients with a MMO <45mm and reduced pain intensity measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS) for patients with TMD without specific description (TMDSD). Splint therapy also reduced the frequency of painful episodes for patients with TMJ clicking. No publication bias was observed, as determined with Egger's test for all outcomes. On the basis of this evidence, we recommend the use of splints for the treatment and control of TMD in adults.
Highlights
Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a group of clinical problems affecting the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), myofascial muscles and other related structures [1]
Subgroup analysis showed that for patients with an initial maximal mouth opening (MMO) < 37mm (MD = 6.21, 95% confidence intervals (CI) [4.50, 7.92], I2 = 34.0%, P = 0.220) or an initial MMO = 37-45mm (MD = 5.20, 95% CI [1.71, 8.69], I2 = Not available (NA), P = NA), splint therapy led to a significant increase in MMO as compared to control
No significant difference in the change in MMO was detected for the subgroups with MMO > 45mm (MD = 1.57, 95% CI [-2.22, 5.36], I2 = NA, P = NA)
Summary
Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a group of clinical problems affecting the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), myofascial muscles and other related structures [1]. The main signs and symptoms involve TMJ pain and clicking, myofascial or oral masticatory muscle pain, and abnormal jaw movement [3].TMD constitute a major public health problem, as they are a main source of chronic oral facial pain, interfering with daily activities [4]. These disorders are commonly associated with other symptoms affecting the head and neck region, including headache, ear-related symptoms, cervical spine dysfunction, and altered head and cervical posture [5, 6]. Study design 9) MeSH term: randomized controlled trials AND controlled clinical trials
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