ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to examine the reliability and validity of a single lateral condyle-capsule distance (LCCD) measurement while saving on economic costs and clinical resources. METHODS: A longitudinal test-retest design was used to assess the reliability and validity of single-examiner measures over 72 TMJ sonographic analyses. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and a Bland-Altman plot were used to study reliability and validity, comparing the first measurement of the LCCD to the mean of 3 measurements taken one week later by the same examiner. RESULTS: ICC show intraobserver reliability of 0.981, 95% confidence intervals (CI) of 0.969 to 0.988. The mean difference between the ultrasound measurements is 0.019 mm (95% CI 0.0005-0.0383) with a standard deviation of 0.080 mm, demonstrating robust validity. The 95% Limits of Agreement (LoA) are - 0.138 for the lower limit and 0.177 for the upper. Mean relative error is 0.009 mm. CONCLUSION: Intraobserver reliability of a trained examiner is very high in the single measurement of the LCCD and validity is significant compared to more complex methods. The risk of bias is low since the mean of three LCCD measurements is calculated as opposed to recording only one single measurement.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are the most common orofacial impairment, but the relevance of certain clinical features in TMD is not clear. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study was to analyse if temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are associated with sociodemographic (eg age, height, weight, body mass index and gender), psychological (eg anxiety and depression) and clinical features (eg use of dental splints, orthodontics, retainers, bruxism, sleep disturbance, familiar prior history of TMD and dental occlusion). METHODS: An observational study was conducted to calculate the correlation of TMD, as assessed with DC/TMD criteria, with sociodemographic, psychological and clinical features on 59 voluntary subjects with TMD (n = 45) and without TMD (n = 14). Sex, height, weight, body mass index, age, use of dental splint, orthodontics, retainers, parafunctional disorders, sleep disturbance, familiar history of TMD, bruxism, anxiety, stress and dental occlusion class data were included in a multivariable correlation analysis to determine which variables are associated with TMD and bruxism. RESULTS: TMD was found to be correlated with none of the features assessed (P > .05), but a negative correlation with the use of dental splint (P < .05). Dental occlusion class showed no statistically significant correlation with any assessed feature (P > .05). CONCLUSION: The etiology of TMD is not clear and considering certain clinical features including dental occlusion are not justified in the evidence-based TMD practice for making irreversible occlusal treatment decisions.
