Descriptive study of the main comorbidities associated with chronic pain in patients with temporomandibular dysfunction artroscopy

Abstract

Objectives: Describe and analyze the possible relationship between the clinical and radiological characteristics of patients on temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) artroscopy and the associated presence of the main comorbidities related to chronic orofacial pain according to the literature; anxiety disorder, major depression, migraine, and fibromyalgia. Material and methods: A retrospective and descriptive study of patients diagnosed and operated by artroscopy on a predominantly joint TMD between the years 2006-2016 was carried out. Distributed into two groups based on the presence of the comorbidities described. An analysis and description of the main clinical and radiological examination variables such as pain (VAS), oral opening and the presence of joint noises, as well as disc displacement, the presence of degenerative changes, the myofascial component and the stages of Wilkes were performed. These variables were evaluated preoperatively. Results: A total of 280 patients were included in the study distributed in 2 groups, formed mainly by women (92.14 %) with a mean age of 38.6 years. The most frequently observed comorbidities were anxiety disorder (42 %), association between anxiety and depression (22.7 %) and depression (11.4 %). A worse clinical situation was described in the group of patients with associated comorbidities, with statistical significance in the variables sex, pain, joint noises, and advanced Wilkes stages (IV-V). Conclusions: According to our study, most of the patients operated on chronic TMD by arthroscopy had some comorbidity related to chronic pain, highlighting the anxiety disorder. In this group of patients, a particularly significant worse clinical and functional situation was observed in terms of pain.