Efficacy of splint therapy for the management of temporomandibular disorders: a meta-analysis.
Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a group of clinical problems affecting temporomandibular joint (TMJ), myofascial muscles and other related structures. Splint therapy is the most commonly used approach to treatment of TMD, but its effectiveness is remains unclear. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of splint therapy for TMD in adults. The electronic databases PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for reports published up to March 31, 2016. Thirteen eligible studies involving 538 patients were identified. The results indicated that splint therapy increased maximal mouth opening (MMO) for patients with a MMO <45mm and reduced pain intensity measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS) for patients with TMD without specific description (TMDSD). Splint therapy also reduced the frequency of painful episodes for patients with TMJ clicking. No publication bias was observed, as determined with Egger's test for all outcomes. On the basis of this evidence, we recommend the use of splints for the treatment and control of TMD in adults.
Center for Evidence-Based Medicine and Clinical Research, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, South Renmin Road, Shiyan, China.
Chao
C
Zhang
Center for Evidence-Based Medicine and Clinical Research, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, South Renmin Road, Shiyan, China.|School of Stomatology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China.
Jun-Yi
JY
Wu
The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine, Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Dong-Lai
DL
Deng
The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine, Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Bing-Yang
BY
He
Center for Evidence-Based Medicine and Clinical Research, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, South Renmin Road, Shiyan, China.
Yuan
Y
Tao
Center for Evidence-Based Medicine and Clinical Research, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, South Renmin Road, Shiyan, China.|Department of Stomatology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China.
Yu-Ming
YM
Niu
The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Mo-Hong
MH
Deng
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013165:Splints / Q000009:adverse effects; D013704:Temporomandibular Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
maximal mouth opening; meta-analysis; splint; temporomandibular disorders; visual analogue scales of pain