Subjective symptoms in temporomandibular joint osteoarthrosis

Questionnaires about subjective symptoms were sent by post to 120 patients referred to the clinic for mandibular dysfunction. A group of 20 patients with crepitation of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and a group of 19 patients with palpatory tenderness of the TMJ were compared with a reference group of 29 patients for any difference in local subjective symptoms, frequency of headache and symptoms in other joints. The patients with TMJ crepitation, which were considered to have TMJ osteoarthrosis, were older and reported a higher frequency of grating sound from the TMJ than the patients in the reference group. The patients with palpatory tenderness of the TMJ reported a higher frequency of toothgrinding, more severe symptoms of mandibular dysfunction and a higher frequency of symptoms in the hand joints. No correlation was found between subjective symptoms of mandibular dysfunction and those of other joints. The results of the study indicate that patients with TMJ osteoarthrosis do not differ from other patients with mandibular dysfunction with respect to subjective symptoms and that subjective symptoms of mandibular dysfunction in general develop independently of those in other joints.