General Joint Laxity as Risk Factor for TMJ Disc Displacment

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate whether general joint laxity (GJL) is a risk factor for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc displacement with reduction. Methods: We studied 895 subjects 20-60 years old. They came from a random population sample of the metropolitan area of Leipzig and Halle, Germany. We measured the study exposure, GJL, with the Beighton-classification and defined the presence of GJL as 4 or more hypermobile joints on the 0 to 9 scale. We assessed the study outcome, disc displacement with reduction, as reproducible joint clicking in the clinical examination according to the German version of the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD). Results: Study subjects presented in 14.8% (N = 132) reproducible joint clicking. GJL was observed in 8.4% (N = 75) of the sample subjects. After controlling for the effects of age, gender and general joint diseases using multiple logistic regression analyses, subjects with 4 or more hypermobile joints were associated with a higher risk of reproducible joint clicking (OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.02-2.93) compared to those without hypermobile joints. Conclusion: In conclusion, GJL was associated with TMJ disc displacement with reduction in the general German population.