The association between temporomandibular disorders and joint hypermobility syndrome: a nationwide population-based study

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the risk factors of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), including disc or non-disc-related disorders, and joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS) retrospectively and to analyze the factors by estimating the magnitude of the association between the two conditions using a nationwide population-based dataset.

Materials and methods: A total of 975,788 eligible patients' de-identified data were obtained from a representative database composed of one million of Taiwan's population since 2004 to 2008. All associated factors, such as gender, age, facial trauma, and psychosis, which correlated with TMDs and JHS were examined. Multiple logistic regression modeling adjusted for confounding variables to determine the odds ratio of variables that made an important contribution to TMDs and JHS.

Results: For all TMDs patients, only 1.47% patients had disc-related disorders. For all JHS patients, only 3.85% patients are diagnosed with concomitant TMDs. Statistically significant association was observed between joint hypermobility and TMDs. Furthermore, the prevalence of JHS patients shows significant difference within TMD subgroups, in which 9.52% of JHS patients have disc disorders and 90.48% of JHS patients do not. All associated factors, such as gender, age, JHS, facial trauma, and psychosis, had a significant impact on the TMDs. Interestingly, patients with TMJ articular disc disorders are 6.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with JHS compared to patients without disc-related disorders.

Conclusions: Our results confirm that there is a significant positive association between TMDs and JHS, highlighting that patients with disc-related TMDs are more likely to experience JHS than patients with TMDs without disc disorders.

Clinical relevance: Individuals with TMD associated with JHS should be carefully evaluated by inter-disciplinary specialists as these factors may eventually have impact on the prognosis of TMDs and JHS.

Keywords: Facial trauma; Joint hypermobility syndrome; Psychosis; Temporomandibular disorders.