Orofacial pain, jaw function, and temporomandibular disorders in women with a history of juvenile chronic arthritis or persistent juvenile chronic arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to study the long-term outcome of juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).


METHODS
Temporomandibular disorders, including TMJ involvement, were assessed in 42 women with pauciarticular or polyarticular JCA--on average 25.8 years from disease onset--and compared with those found in matched control subjects. Disease-related parameters associated with temporomandibular disorders were identified.


RESULTS
The TMJ was involved in 66.7% of the patients, most severely in extended pauciarticular JCA. Temporomandibular disorders were more frequent in the patients than in the control subjects, especially in those with persistent disease. The TMJ involvement was positively correlated with disease duration and negatively correlated with jaw opening and occlusal support. Duration of active JCA and history of functional pain were identified as predictors of present TMJ involvement.


CONCLUSIONS
In a long-term follow-up, TMJ involvement proved frequent in the studied patients and was associated with long disease duration and previous pain on jaw opening. The findings suggest that patients with JCA should undergo orofacial evaluation on a regular basis.
Bakke
M
M
Department of Oral Function and Physiology, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. mb@odont.ku.dk
Zak
M
M
Jensen
B L
BL
Pedersen
F K
FK
Kreiborg
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001732:Bite Force; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011859:Radiography; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors