The assessment of trapezius muscle symptoms of patients with temporomandibular disorders by the use of liquid crystal thermography.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that neuromuscular symptoms of patients with temporomandibular disorders that occur in the upper back and neck can be evaluated by recording the temperature patterns in the skin overlying the muscles.


METHODS
Liquid crystal contact thermography was evaluated on patients with temporomandibular disorders to demonstrate temperature changes in the muscles of the neck and upper back. The study consisted of 22 patients with temporomandibular disorders and 22 normal controls.


RESULTS
The mean right-versus-left-side temperature difference of the control group was 0.13 degree C whereas the patient group showed a difference of 0.78 degree C. Of the 22 patients with temporomandibular disorders, 21 (95.5%) showed an increased temperature over the trapezius muscle on the symptomatic side.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that thermography may be useful in the diagnosis of myofascial symptoms that may be associated with temporomandibular disorders.
Pogrel
M A
MA
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
McNeill
C
C
Kim
J M
JM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001416:Back Pain / Q000209:etiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009220:Myositis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000209:etiology; D012782:Shoulder; D012881:Skin Temperature; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013706:Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013817:Thermography / Q000379:methods*