Anatomical Changes After Stabilisation Splint Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Dental Biomaterials
• Craniofacial Biology

Background:

• Stabilisation splint therapy (SST) is a common treatment for temporomandibular disorder (TMD).
• Limited understanding exists regarding unintended structural consequences of SST.
• This study investigates alterations in skeletal, TMJ, airway, and soft tissue structures following SST.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically evaluate evidence on structural and positional changes after SST in TMD patients.
• To assess impacts on the skeletal system, TMJ, pharyngeal airway, hyoid bone, craniocervical alignment, dentoalveolar structures, and soft tissues.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of PubMed, Scopus, and CENTRAL databases until December 2024.
• Manual reference checking for comprehensive data retrieval.
• Pooled analysis using Stata version 18.0.

Main Results:

• Fifteen articles were included in the analysis.
• A significant increase in superior TMJ joint space (0.15 mm) was observed.
• Potential condyle movement, disc recapture, mandibular midline correction, and bone density improvements noted; limited airway data.

Conclusions:

• SST significantly increases superior TMJ joint space.
• Changes in other anatomical dimensions were not statistically significant.
• Further controlled research is required due to study limitations and variability.