Gender variability in palpation performance for temporomandibular disorders with three different methods: An...

Area of Science:

• Pain research
• Biomedical engineering
• Clinical diagnostics

Background:

• Gender disparities in pain reporting and prevalence are well-documented.
• Examiner gender has been shown to influence pain reporting during palpation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of examiner gender on palpation performance.
• To compare three palpation methods: traditional, palpometer, and bimanual with visual feedback.
• To determine if examiner gender influences pressure application accuracy and precision.

Main Methods:

• Examiners of both genders were trained by male and female instructors.
• Participants applied pressure aiming for 100 kPa (1 kg force) using three palpation techniques.
• Pressure magnitude, accuracy, and precision were measured using a palpometer.

Main Results:

• Examiner gender and instructor gender did not significantly affect palpation pressure.
• Palpation method was the sole significant factor influencing pressure magnitude, accuracy, and precision.
• The palpometer demonstrated the highest accuracy and precision, followed by bimanual and traditional palpation.

Conclusions:

• Technical aspects of palpation performance are not influenced by examiner gender.
• Observed gender differences in patient pain reporting are likely due to sociocultural factors, not examiner technical skill.
• The palpometer is a promising tool for objective muscle palpation in diagnosing conditions like temporomandibular disorders.