Like any other joint in the body, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) can be involved in any arthritic condition. It is thus not uncommon for patients with arthritis to present with TMJ disorders. Although pain is the main presenting complaint, progressive joint deformity may occur in uncontrolled disease.
Objective:
The main objective was to describe TMJ disorders among patients with arthritis who were treated at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) between August and October 2012.
Method:
A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 85 patients who were treated at the KNH between August and October 2012. A self administered questionnaire was completed by the participants with the help of the researcher followed by a thorough clinical examination of the TMJ performed by the researcher and his assistants. Data collected was then analyzed using SPSS version 17.0.
Results:
Of the 85 participants, 74.2% had symptomatic TMJs. The prevalence was found to be higher (83.7%) in rheumatoid arthritis than in osteoarthritis (45%). Joint sound was the most common symptom with 67% of the participants reporting some sound from the joint. Though only 2 (2.4%) patients had significantly reduced mouth opening, 28.2% reported tenderness on palpation and 41.2% had positive history of joint pain. The prevalence and severity of the symptoms increased with the duration of the disease. Almost all joints were affected bilaterally with 49.2% of the subjects acknowledging that the jaw disease significantly affected their quality of life.
Conclusion:
There was high prevalence of TMJ disorders in patients with arthritis. The severity of the disorders invariably correlated with the severity of the disease, with the earliest indicators of a developing joint disorder being pain and sounds from the joint.