Differences in Movement of Temporomandibular Joints in Athletes With and Without Orofacial Injuries

All sporting activities have an associated risk of orofacial injuries due to falls, collisions with players, devices, and hard surfaces. The purpose of this investigation was to determine is there alteration of condylar path and frontal guidance values in athletes with and without orofacial injuries. The sample consists of 34 athletes who were divided into two groups (Control and Examines group). "Control group" consists of 11 athletes without data of macrotrauma of the stomatognatic system (athletes who didn’t get blow to the face). The second group is "Examines group" witch consists of 23 athletes with macrotrauma (athletes who get blow to the face), 11 of them were athletes with macrotrauma on the right side of jaw and 12 of them were athletes with macrotrauma on the left side of jaw. Athletes with anamnestic blow to the jaws, immediately after injury, have had stiffness/pain of masticatory muscles, pain in region of TMJ, and limitation of jaw movements. But all symptoms diminished and finally were gone after some days or weeks after injury. In time of investigation all of them were completely without any symptom of temporomandibular dysfunction according to RDC/TMD protocol, and were completely satisfied with function of their stomatognathic system. Athletes with macrotrauma have limitation of Bennett angle on the one side while on the opposite side Bennett angle is larger than the average values given in literature. As conclusion, if athletes with macrotrauma need prosthetic therapy, without individual articulator adjustment, prosthodontics work can cause iatrogenic interference. That interference during time may cause temporomandibular dysfunction. All patients need individual approach to their stomatognatic system, and only in that way damage to the system can be avoided.