Patterns of cervical and masticatory impairment in subgroups of people with temporomandibular disorders-an explorative approach based on factor analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To identify clinical patterns of impairment affecting the cervical spine and masticatory systems in different subcategories of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) by an explorative data-driven approach.


METHODS
For this observational study, 144 subjects were subdivided according to Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMDs into: Healthy controls, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) signs without symptoms, TMJ affected, temporomandibular muscles affected, or TMJ and muscles affected. Factor analysis and linear regression were applied to cervical spine and masticatory data to identify and characterize clinical patterns in subgroups.


RESULTS
Factor analysis identified five clinical dimensions, which explained 59% of all variance: Mechanosensitivity, cervical movement, cervical and masticatory dysfunction, jaw movement, and upper cervical movement. Regression analysis identified different clinical dimensions in each TMD subgroup.


CONCLUSIONS
Distinct clinical patterns of cervical spine and masticatory function were found among subgroups of TMD, which has clinical implications for therapeutic management.
a Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation , University of Applied Science , Osnabrück , Germany.
Nikolaus
N
Ballenberger
a Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation , University of Applied Science , Osnabrück , Germany.
Harry
H
von Piekartz
a Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation , University of Applied Science , Osnabrück , Germany.
Mira
M
Danzeisen
b School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science , Curtin University , Perth , Australia.
Toby
T
Hall
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D013284:Stomatognathic System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*
Factor analysis; TMD; cervical; explorative; subgroup