Vol.96 No.3 contentsPRACTICA OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGICA
Vol. 96 No. 3 March 2003
A Possible Mechanism of Otalgia Stemming
from Temporomandibular Disorders
Toshihiro Nakaniwa, Toshihiko Matsumoto and Takao Kishi
(Department of Removable Partial Prosthodontics, Nihon University School of Dentistry at Matsudo)
A study was conducted to investigate the relationship between otalgia and the condyle displacement stemming from temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). Twenty-eight female patients of similar ages with TMDs were enrolled and classified into two groups: 14 subjects without any ear symptoms and the others with otalgia. Peak pressure and impedance in the middle ear were evaluated, condyle displacement at P1-P5 was measured using axial radiograph projection and kinematic axis point displacement between pre-and post treatment was determined.
The differences between the two groups were statistically analyzed by Mann-Whitney U-test and Wilcoxon signed-ranks test, and significant differences between two groups were noted for the following: side difference of the lateral shift of the condyle, vector of the centric slide analyzed at kinematic axis points, and middle ear peak pressure on the disorder side, and also stapedius reflex threshold level on the opposite side. These results suggest that in TMDs either the presence or absence of otalgia is significantly related to disorders of the middle ear pressure stemming from condyle displacement.
Key words : otalgia, temporomandibular disorders, peak pressure