Relationship of TMJ osteoarthritis / osteoarthrosis to head posture and dentofacial morphology.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that there is a relationship between the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) osteoarthritis/osteoarthrosis (OA), head posture and dentofacial morphology.


METHODS
Case-control study.


METHODS
The subjects consisted of 34 Japanese females with TMJ OA (aged 24.7 +/- 6.1 years) and a control group of 25 healthy Japanese females (aged 23.6 +/- 1.3 years). Six cranio-cervical angular measurements were constructed for head posture analysis. Nine angular and three linear measurements were constructed for the skeletal hard tissue analysis. Five angular and one linear measurements were constructed for the dental hard tissue analysis. Unpaired t-tests were used to compare the mean differences of head posture measurements and dentofacial cephalometric measurements between the TMJ OA and the control group.


RESULTS
The TMJ OA group had significantly larger cranio-cervical angles (p < 0.05) and had more posteriorly rotated mandibles (p < 0.0001) than those in the control group. They also had a significantly shorter posterior facial height (p < 0.0001). The TMJ OA group had more retroclined lower incisors (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that an association may exist between TMJ OA, head posture and dentofacial morphology.
Ioi
H
H
Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. ioi@dent.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Matsumoto
R
R
Nishioka
M
M
Goto
T K
TK
Nakata
S
S
Nakasima
A
A
Counts
A L
AL
D000328:Adult; D002508:Cephalometry; D003766:Dental Occlusion; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D011859:Radiography; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*