[Clinical and epidemiologic study on the correlation of chronic rheumatoid arthritis in adults and stomatognathic...

A clinical investigation was performed on a sample of 91 randomly selected rheumatic (R.A.) patients, 70 females and 21 males (mean age 52.6), and in a control group of 41 not R. A. subjects, in order to identify the prevalence of signs and symptoms of temporo-mandibular joint (t.m.j.) dysfunction. The collected data were used to calculate the Helkimo Anamnestic and Clinical Indices. Signs of dysfunction were found in almost all the subjects (except three) and their frequency was significantly higher in women than in men (p less than 0.01). The most common clinical findings were: crepitus from t.m.j. (not significant), impaired mandibular mobility (p less than 0.001), tenderness to palpation of the masticatory muscles, and macroglossia (p less than 0.01). Radiographic examination was also performed in 51 patients, showing in many cases signs of inflammatory arthritis as well as of overimposed degenerative arthritis. The survey showed a significant incidence of structural and functional involvement of t.m.j. in R.A.