Clinical Manifestations, Imaging Features, and Pathogenic/Prognostic Risk Factors for Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD): A Case-Control Study Based on Psychogenic Factors of Patients.

Objective: To survey the clinical manifestations and imaging features of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and analyze the risk factors for pathogenesis/prognosis through a case-control study based on psychogenic factors of patients.

Methods: According to the inclusion criteria, 200 adult patients were randomly enrolled from the maxillofacial department of our hospital from January 2020 to May 2021, including 100 patients with TMD as the study group and 100 healthy patients as the control group. The study group can be assigned into four subgroups according to their clinical manifestations: (1) articular area or/and masticatory muscle pain group, (2) mandibular movement abnormality group, (3) joint murmur group, and (4) two or more symptom groups. Based on the study of psychogenic factors of patients, the clinical manifestations and imaging features of TMD were determined, and the risk factors for pathogenesis/prognosis were analyzed.

Results: The distribution of psychological status in the TMD group was higher than that in the control group ( < 0.05). The distribution of anxiety, depression, and somatic symptoms in the TMD group was significantly different from that in the control group ( < 0.05). Anxiety, depression, and somatic symptoms were the risk factors for TMD. Compared with the control group, the incidence of abnormal MRI images in patients with temporomandibular disorders was significantly different ( < 0.05). There were significant differences in psychological status (anxiety, depression, and somatic symptoms) among the three groups ( < 0.05). Anxiety, depression, and somatic symptoms were the risk factors for abnormal mandibular movement and joint tremor and murmur ( < 0.05). Somatic symptoms were the risk factors for various clinical symptoms of TMD ( < 0.05). Depression was the risk factor for pain ( < 0.05).

Conclusion: In patients with TMD, MRI can early identify disc abnormalities and other related imaging features, which is helpful for more comprehensive clinical evaluation and treatment of TMD patients. There exhibits no significant difference in psychological status (anxiety, depression, and somatic symptoms) of patients with different clinical symptoms, and abnormal psychological status may be one of the risk factors leading to different clinical symptoms and development of different types of TMD patients.