Quantitative Assessment of Masticatory Function in Patients with Temporomandibular Joint Arthralgia: A Pilot Clinical...

Objectives: To quantitatively assess masticatory function with instrumental measures in a group of patients suffering from temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthralgia, and to compare the results with symptom-free controls. Methods: Data of bite force, variance-of-hue-based (VOH) chewing efficiency, chewing frequency, the bilateral pressure pain threshold (PPT) of the temporalis and masseter muscles, and mandibular range of motion (RoM) were collected in a sample of TMJ arthralgia patients (n = 14) and controls (n = 19). The diagnosis of arthralgia was obtained following the DC/TMD protocol. Comparison between the groups was conducted using independent samples t-tests (level of significance α = 0.05). Associations within the arthralgia group were assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results: In comparison to the controls, arthralgia patients showed significantly restricted pain-free and maximum unassisted mouth opening (p < 0.001, p = 0.022 respectively) as well as a significant decrease in both bite force (p < 0.001) and chewing frequency (p = 0.01). The average chewing efficiency for the arthralgia group was 0.14 ± 0.08 VOH. The PPT for both masseter muscles did not show significant differences in comparison to the control group. Conclusions: In patients with TMJ arthralgia, functional markers such as RoM, bite force, and chewing frequency exhibited significant limitations compared to the control group. The employment of instrumental measurements in the documentation of symptoms in clinical practice provides an objective basis for the assessment of functional limitations. Hence, we recommend integrating them into the longitudinal patients' observation during therapy.