Differences in reported medical conditions between myogenous and arthrogenous TMD patients and its relevance to the general practitioner

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare self-reported medical conditions between a group of myogenous and arthrogenous temporomandibular disorder (TMD) patients and highlight its relevance to the general practitioner. Method and Materials: The patient population consisted of 274 consecutive patients (14.6% male, 85.4% female; mean age 39.6 ± 14.2 years) diagnosed with either myogenous or arthrogenous TMD according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders. Self-reported medical conditions were derived from a standardized medical health questionnaire that patients completed during their initial examination. Data were compared between the two groups by means of chi-square tests, t tests and Mann-Whitney U tests. The level of significance was set at α = .05. Results: Patients with myogenous TMD reported a greater number of medical conditions compared to arthrogenous TMD patients from the following broad categories: neurologic, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, psychologic, and "other". The following nine specific conditions were reported significantly more often in the myogenous group: severe headaches, fainting/dizzy spells, gastric acid reflux, fibromyalgia, anxiety, depression, psychiatric treatment, phobias, and frequent sore throats. The myogenous group reported pain to be significantly more severe than the arthrogenous group. Pain duration did not differ between the two groups. Conclusion: Patients with myogenous TMD self-reported significantly more comorbid disorders and more severe pain than patients with arthrogenous TMD. Understanding the differences between these two groups of patients will allow for more appropriate and targeted care for these populations. Future studies may focus on determining subgroups that are more likely to be indicative of a larger widespread pain syndrome to help guide individualized management strategies.