title: Correlation between skin surface temperature over masticatory muscles and pain intensity in women with myogenous temporomandibular disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pain is a common clinical manifestation in individuals with temporomandibular disorder (TMD). The literature report changes in microcirculation in this condition. The aim of the present study was to correlate skin surface temperature at the central point of the masticatory muscles with pain intensity in women with myogenous TMD.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) and the visual analogue scale (VAS) were used to divide 40 female university students into four groups: control group (n=10), mild pain group (n=10), moderate pain group (n=10) and severe pain group (n=10). Infrared thermography was used to assess the masticatory muscles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant correlations were found between pain intensity and skin surface temperature over the left masseter (p=0.368), right masseter (p=0.618), left anterior temporalis (p=0.293) and right anterior temporalis (p=0.922) muscles. No correlations were found between pain intensity and asymmetry of the masseter (p=0.375) and anterior temporalis (p=0.090) muscles. Moreover, no significant difference in skin surface temperature (p> 0.05) was found among the different groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pain intensity in women with myogenous TMD was not associated with skin surface temperature at the central point of the masseter and anterior temporalis muscles.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Therapeutic Resources, Postgraduate Program in Physiotherapy, Methodist University of Piracicaba, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. dibaifilho@gmail.com
authors.forename: Almir Vieira
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Dibai-Filho
authors.forename: Ana Cláudia de Souza
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Amanda Carine
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Packer
authors.forename: Delaine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rodrigues-Bigaton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008410:Masticatory Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012881:Skin Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013817:Thermography; D055815:Young Adult