2018•Revista CEFACOpen access
Evaluation of pain threshold upon palpation of the masticatory muscles in women with temporomandibular disorder according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria of Temporomandibular Disorders
Carolina Marciela Herpich, Fabiano Politti, Cid André Fidelis de Paula Gomes, Igor Phillip dos Santos Glória, Ana Paula Amaral, Maitê de Freitas Rocha de Souza Amaral, Graciela Herpich, Sandra Kalil Bussadori, Tabajara de Oliveira Gonzalez, Daniela Aparecida Biasotto‐Gonzalez
Open full text 7 citations
Abstract
ABSTRACT Purpose: to evaluate the pain threshold upon palpation of the masticatory muscles in women with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria of Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD). Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted involving the evaluation of pain threshold upon palpation of the extraoral muscles (temporal, masseter, posterior mandibular region, submandibular region) and intraoral muscles (lateral pterygoid area and temporal tendon) in women using the RDC/TMD clinical examination. Results: 60 women were evaluated. Statistically significant differences were found among the muscles evaluated regarding the pain threshold. The lateral pterygoid area, bilaterally, had the lowest pain threshold, followed by the masseter and temporal muscles. Conclusion: this study suggests that the lateral pterygoid muscle, bilaterally, has the lowest pain threshold upon palpation among the masticatory muscles, followed by masseter and temporal muscles, in women with TMD, according to the RDC/TMD evaluation.
Open-access reader