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Randomized Effectiveness Study of Four Therapeutic Strategies for TMJ Closed Lock

¹ University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, Department of Diagnostic and Biological Sciences,
³ Department of Developmental and Surgical Sciences, 6-320 Moos Tower, 515 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA;
² University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Division of Biostatistics, Minneapolis, MN, USA; and
⁴ Veterans Administration Hospital Dental Clinic, Minneapolis, MN, USA

^* corresponding author, schif001{at}umn.edu

For individuals with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc displacement without reduction with limited mouth opening (closed lock), interventions vary from minimal treatment to surgery. In a single-blind trial, 106 individuals with TMJ closed lock were randomized among medical management, rehabilitation, arthroscopic surgery with post-operative rehabilitation, or arthroplasty with post-operative rehabilitation. Evaluations at baseline, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 60 months used the Craniomandibular Index (CMI) and Symptom Severity Index (SSI) for jaw function and TMJ pain respectively. Using an intention-to-treat analysis, we observed no between-group difference at any follow-up for CMI (p 0.33) or SSI (p 0.08). Both outcomes showed within-group improvement (p < 0.0001) for all groups. The findings of this study suggest that primary treatment for individuals with TMJ closed lock should consist of medical management or rehabilitation. The use of this approach will avoid unnecessary surgical procedures.

KEY WORDS: temporomandibular joint • closed lock • randomized clinical trial • effectiveness study