Abstract
The study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of the RA.DI.CA. splint in the management of temporomandibular joint disc displacement without reduction (ADDwoR) and jaw functional limitation. The authors developed a retrospective clinical study. A total of 2739 medical records were screened. One hundred and forty-one patients with chronic unilateral disc displacement without reduction and jaw limitation, treated with a multifunctional RA.DI.CA. splint, were enrolled. Temporomandibular pain, headache, familiar pain, neck pain, and emotional strain, maximum spontaneous mouth opening, and lateral excursions were evaluated at baseline (T0), after therapy (T1), and during the follow-up (T2). Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Wilcoxon test assessed changes in symptomatology and functional aspects before and after treatment and between T1 and T2, with p < 0.05. Ninety-nine patients (70%) declared themselves “healed” from jaw functional limitation with no residual painful symptoms, 31 (22%) improved their symptoms and jaw function, 11 (8%) reported no changes compared to T0 and no one worsened. As for all parameters analyzed, the comparison between the ones before and after treatment was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The RA.DI.CA. splint proved to be highly performing and promoting functional and symptomatologic recovery, also in the medium and long term, through the restoration of the functional disc-condyle relationship and the healing of joint tissues.
Highlights
The most common issues that the gnathologist has to face in the management of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and/or masticatory muscles pain, as well as the qualitative and quantitative anomalies of the mandibular movements, due to the dysfunction of the stomatognathic components [1]
The alterations of the mandibular functionality are most frequently caused by the internal derangement of TMJ, with a prevalence of about 41% in TMD
Joint disorders are characterized by a series of clinical, anatomical, and pathological clues, classified in the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular
Summary
The most common issues that the gnathologist has to face in the management of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and/or masticatory muscles pain, as well as the qualitative and quantitative anomalies of the mandibular movements, due to the dysfunction of the stomatognathic components [1]. The alterations of the mandibular functionality are most frequently caused by the internal derangement of TMJ, with a prevalence of about 41% in TMD patients [2]. The main pathogenetic mechanism of these biomechanical joint disorders is the alteration of the functional relationship of the condyle-disc complex [3]. Anterior disc displacement without reduction (ADDwoR) is an intra-capsular disorder with a prevalence of 5% [2], less frequent than disc displacement with reduction, characterized by restrictions in jaw. Public Health 2020, 17, 9057; doi:10.3390/ijerph17239057 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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