Prevalence of temporomandibular disorders in fibromyalgia and failed back syndrome patients: a blinded prospective comparison study.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and evaluate psychosocial domains in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) compared with patients with failed back syndrome (FBS).


METHODS
The study included 51 (32 FM and 19 FBS) adult patients who were administered orofacial pain and psychological questionnaires before a clinical examination. Presence of TMD was diagnosed according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD.


RESULTS
Fifty-three percent of the FM patients reported having face pain compared with 11% of the FBS patients. Of those FM patients who reported face pain, 71% fulfilled the criteria for a diagnosable TMD. FM patients had significantly higher subscale scores for somatization, obsessive-compulsive, medication used for sleep, and fatigue compared with FBS patients. Eighty-seven percent of the FM patients reported a stressful event and 42.3% had symptoms indicating posttraumatic stress disorder.


CONCLUSIONS
The high prevalence of TMD and psychosocial dysfunction among FM patients suggests wide-reaching dysregulation of autonomic and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functions.
Balasubramaniam
Ramesh
R
Orofacial Pain Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA. rbalasub@dental.upenn.edu
de Leeuw
Reny
R
Zhu
Hua
H
Nickerson
Robert B
RB
Okeson
Jeffrey P
JP
Carlson
Charles R
CR
D000328:Adult; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007027:Hypothalamic Diseases / Q000150:complications; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000150:complications; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000150:complications; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013577:Syndrome; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology